Woman punched in the head while waiting in hospital emergency room

JILLIAN Helm was in a western Sydney hospital emergency room waiting for a patient when she was randomly punched in the head. It happens more often than you think, latest figures show.

Josh McGee with girlfriend Jill Helm outside Nepean Hospital where she claims she was attacked. Picture: David Swift

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JILLIAN Helm was in the Nepean Hospital emergency room waiting for a patient when she was randomly punched in the head by a woman.

“She punched me with a closed fist,” Ms Helm told the Penrith Press.

“There had been no interaction beforehand.”

Incidents like this happen more often than you think.

According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, the number of police-recorded assaults on hospital premises has risen by an average of 5.8 per cent per year, between October 2010 and September 2015.

In the Penrith local government area, it is far worse.

BOCSAR figures show there were 10.3 non-domestic hospital assault incidents for every 100,000 people between July 2015 and June 2016 — compared to only five in 100,000 statewide

Labor federal MPs Susan Templeman (Macquarie) and Emma Husar (Lindsay). Ms Husar said healthcare staff at Nepean Hospital already worked in “the most underfunded, under-pressure hospital in the state”. Picture: Peter Kelly

Ms Helm’s boyfriend Josh McGee believes a dedicated security guard is needed in the ED, as does the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association.

“It definitely needs more security; not just for patients but nurses, who quite often get in the line of fire,” Mr McGee said.

He attended the ED with his girlfriend on Sunday, after his mum fell, when the unprovoked attack occurred about 2.30pm.

“We were waiting while she was getting X-rays, watching a film on my phone minding our own business, when one of the ladies came over and punched Jill on the side of the face,” he said.

Union NSW has previously called on NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner to increase the penalties for people who assault health workers, expand hospital security staff powers, and review numbers. Picture: John Appleyard

A hospital spokesman said security staff “responded immediately” and NSW police officers were called, but he could not comment further because “the matter is now before the courts”.

Since the shock shooting of a police officer and a security guard by a man in the ED in January, the NSWNMA has been pleading with the Minister for Health Jillian Skinner for a dedicated guard in EDs and self-defence training for emergency nurses.

A hospital spokesman said an additional security guard had been “rostered on every night from 7pm to 7am”.

The security office is adjacent to the ED which sees about 200 patients every day, including one to three with mental health, drug or alcohol issues.

A NSW Health spokeswoman said an extra security guard was allocated to Nepean Hospital “as part of the $2.5 million enhancement for extra security staff announced in the 2016-17 budget”.

“The security guard will be sponsored to complete a Certificate III in Security Operations,” she said.

Londonderry MP Prue Car said the State Opposition would offer bipartisan support for hospital safety measures. Picture: Peter Kelly

“A multidisciplinary training course on managing aggressive patients for staff who work in emergency departments was piloted at three hospitals in August 2016, and will be rolled out to all local health districts in the coming months.”

She said the Ministry for Health would also be rolling out “a specific training course” for NSW Health Security staff, delivered by TAFE, and would recruit additional security staff across NSW “in areas of greatest need”.

Londonderry state Labor MP Prue Car said: “The NSW Opposition has stated that bipartisan support will be offered to any sensible measures which address security in our hospitals.”

Lindsay federal Labor MP Emma Husar said the “exceptional” healthcare staff at Nepean Hospital already worked in “the most underfunded, under-pressure hospital in the state”.

“They shouldn’t have to put up with regular violence on top of that,” she said.

“Our doctors, nurses, hospital staff, patients, as well as visitors to the hospital, deserve to feel safe.”

In numbers

■ Top 5 LGAs for recorded incidents of non-domestic assault on hospital grounds for July 2015 to June 2016: Sydney (48 — up 77.8pc per year), Penrith and Parramatta (20), Randwick (17), Newcastle (15).

■ Nepean Hospital ED sees 67,000 people a year — a 30 per cent increase over five years. The ED was designed to handle 50,000 a year.