Gosford and Wyong hospitals selected for security trial
More security staff will be put on at Gosford and Wyong hospitals as part of a three month trial to reduce the rate of security threats, following a number of violent incidents.
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Gosford and Wyong hospitals have been selected for a three month security trial.
More security staff will be put on to monitor the hospital emergency departments and CCTV screens around the clock, as part of the three-month trial aimed at trying to identify and intervene before an incident escalates.
Wyong Hospitals hit headlines in 2017 when two nurses were held hostage by a patient with a meat cleaver. The man, who was jailed over the incident, grabbed a pregnant triage nurse in a headlock and threatened to slit her throat.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the pilot trial, to be carried out at Gosford, Wyong and Blacktown hospitals, aimed at keeping patients and staff safe.
“This pilot will focus on trying to identify and intervene in incidents before they escalate, which can be difficult for staff, particularly if patients are in physical or emotional pain,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Aggression towards hospital staff is a disturbing and increasing phenomenon worldwide and as a community, we need to do our best to try and address it.
“Often the aggression is not deliberate – staff are dealing with patients whose thinking may be clouded by drugs, alcohol or dementia but it doesn’t make the situation any easier.”
The trial comes after recent rallies held across NSW hospitals, including Gosford and Wyong,
by the Health Services Union over the lack of security.
The HSU claimed there were around 40 assaults in NSW hospitals each month, with workers being stabbed, shot, punched, bitten and abused.
Terrigal MP Adam Crouch said he was happy the Central Coast hospitals had been chosen for the trial, following aggressive incidents in the past.
“We had a man who was drunk threaten two nurses with a meat cleaver at Wyong Hospital a few years back and police and security intervened,” Mr Crouch said.
“My wife, who is a nurse, was also assaulted by an ice addict for simply doing her job. Increased assaults in the healthcare system mirror those in our society in general but the NSW Government is proactively looking at ways we can curb these incidents.”
NSW Health will review the trial results, alongside recommendations from former Health and Police Minister Peter Anderson’s final report into hospital security later this year.
The State Government appointed Mr Anderson to review hospital security measures.