Patient attacks emergency department staff at RAH in third assault on clinicians in a week

A mental health patient has assaulted three emergency department staff at the RAH in a terrifying rampage – the third such attack at the hospital within a week.

A patient allegedly knocked out a security guard, belted a doctor who needed stitches, assaulted a nurse who suffered a shoulder injury and terrorised staff and patients before being subdued in the Royal Adelaide Hospital emergency department on Tuesday night.

It is understood the doctor had an ear torn to the point of requiring plastic surgery to repair the wound, the security guard suffered facial lacerations while three computers and printers were damaged in the alleged rampage.

The patient allegedly went behind a desk and threw a printer, and used a metal water bottle as a weapon to hit staff.

The latest shocking attack follows a nurse being bashed around the head by a mental health patient in the ED last Thursday night, a rampaging mental health patient trapping staff in a tearoom until the patient could be restrained last week, and an attack on a male clinician last month.

A 23-year-old woman from Kensington has been charged with three counts of assault.

Central Adelaide Local Health Network acting chief executive Kathryn Zeitz issued a short statement confirming an incident and that staff were now recovering at home.

“Police were in attendance,” she said. “We have zero tolerance for violence and aggression and our priority is to provide a safe environment for staff, patients and visitors across all our sites.”

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Elizabeth Dabars said RAH staff were at “breaking point” and called for an immediate upgrade in security.

She said members who witnessed the incident were traumatised and the union had been inundated by calls from distraught nurses.

“Sadly, this only serves to highlight what we have been asking the government to implement over the past 12 months,’’ Ms Dabars said.

“That the high-stimulus ED is not the place for mental health patients to seek treatment. There needs to be a designated ED for these patients which is purpose built and solely for their use.

“An immediate review of security within the ED needs to take place to maintain member safety. One attack is abhorrent, let alone three in one week.

“People are deeply distressed, what they’re enduring is absolutely horrific. It’s much like a working in a war zone.”

The new wing of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The frightening attack comes as SafeWork SA monitors efforts by RAH management to reduce pressure on ED clinicians due to relentless demand, which regularly sees the ED operating at above official capacity.

At one stage on Tuesday night clinicians in the 69-capacity ED were treating 84 patients with another 15 waiting to be seen.

SafeWork SA has issued an intervention order following an inspection last week that calls for improvements to ease the risk of psychological harm on staff due to escalation of demand.

The deadline for this improvement is Tuesday or the hospital faces a fine of up to $250,000.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s new ED with 15 extra beds that began operation on Wednesday is expected to help ease the load on the RAH and the politically volatile issue of ambulance ramping.

Hours lost to ramping in June fell to 3798 after May surged to a record 4773 hours.

While ramping has soared, more paramedics and ambulances on the road have improved response times to attend to patients who call triple-0.