Assaults at Hunter hospitals on the rise; Call for increased security staffing and resources
Most people wouldn’t go to work expecting to be assaulted but it happens daily for hospital security staff across Hunter health facilities. They’re calling for more security and better resources.
Newcastle
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Spat on, punched, kicked, that’s the life of a hospital security officer daily, dealing with a variety of aggressive patients.
A local security guard, who’s worked at the John Hunter Hospital (JHH) for almost five years — who didn’t want to be named — recently got kicked while on the job and punched to the head a number of times while also working at Belmont hospital.
He also told The Newcastle News about 12 months ago, a colleague suffered head trauma after a psych patient ripped off a 30kg door and smashed him in the head, while working at JHH.
“It’s very rarely where something doesn’t happen while on shift,” he said.
“It’s sad to say but you get used to it.
“A lot of the time we get pushed, shoved, sworn at, it’s water off a duck’s back, it is part of our job.”
He said security personnel have been arguing with management for the past eight years to get more security on board for the safety of all hospital staff, and to create a better reporting system to allow for assaults to be properly documented.
“They have consultative committee after consultative committee, they do their own internal audits, they come back saying they need more security and they still don’t put them on,” he added.
“It’s just a recommendation.”
“If you don’t have a spare 45 minutes it doesn’t get done. It times out and you have to start again
“Less than 50 per cent of incidents get reported, so if the system was easier the numbers would be a lot higher.
“It’s too long, it’s too complex, it’s not user friendly.
“90 per cent the job is fine but management are not taking the safety of people seriously.”
NSW Health data has revealed that Hunter hospitals - which includes the John Hunter, Calvary Mater, Belmont and Maitland hospitals - have had an increasing number of assaults in the past five years.
It has gone from 101 assaults on staff in 2016/2017, to 113 in 2017/2018 and jumped to 131 in 2018/2019.
In just the first nine months of the 2019/2020 financial year there were already 105 assaults recorded.
“Of course these are just the assaults that are reported. Many, many more never make it into the statistics,” HSU NSW Secretary Gerard Hayes said.
“Our members are fed up with being treated as punching bags. Long after the cuts and bruises heal, the psychological trauma persists.
“Hunter New England Health needs to employ more security officers and give them the special constable powers they need to their job and provide a safe workplace.”
Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery agrees something needs to be done, and on Friday moved a Notice of Motion calling on the NSW Government to take immediate action to fix security in public hospitals.
She wants to see more security guards, better training, while giving them the authority to detain violent patients.
“Staff at the John Hunter and Mater hospitals should not have to fear for their lives and put up with violence when going to work to help people,” Ms Hornery said.
“There must be more measures in place to protect staff while they are doing their jobs, so their focus is on caring for patients, not the possibility of being violently assaulted.
“This Government has been conducting reviews and security audits at both the John Hunter and Calvary Mater Hospitals since 2012, but as yet nothing has happened.
“Hospital staff are sick of being treated like punching bags. Substantial improvements must be introduced to improve security for workers.”
But Executive Director of Metropolitan Health Services Karen Kelly said since 2010, there has been a 25 per cent increase in the security workforce across NSW Health.
“The NSW Government has invested $19 million to improve security in emergency departments at public hospitals, upgrading CCTV systems, improving access controls between public and staff areas and installing remote locking to public access doors,” Ms Kelly said.
“An additional $5 million has been invested to upgrade duress alarms for staff in emergency departments, which they are mandated to wear while on duty.
“John Hunter Hospital is the Hunter region’s largest referral hospital, and despite increasing numbers of presentations, incidents have steadied this year.”
She said the provision of trained security staff is just one part of a very broad strategy to ensure the safety and security of staff, patients and visitors.
“We regularly review security and security staffing levels at all services, including John Hunter Hospital, in line with the service’s activity, to ensure clinical staff have the support they need,” she added.