Doctor allegedly punched in the face as he walked into work

A man has been charged after a doctor at a major Melbourne hospital was allegedly punched in the face in an unprovoked attack as he walked into work.

A doctor at St Vincent’s Hospital was allegedly punched in the face while walking into work. Picture: David Crosling

A doctor at a major Melbourne hospital was allegedly punched in the face in an unprovoked attack as he walked into work.

Police say the man was assaulted as he entered the main foyer at St Vincent’s Hospital in Fitzroy about 3.40pm on Monday.

The doctor’s glasses were reportedly smashed during the violent assault, which left him bleeding as hospital security detained his alleged attacker.

A man has been charged with assaulting an emergency service worker while on duty and recklessly causing injury.

He has been remanded in custody to face the Melbourne Magistrates Court on May 5.

It comes after the Herald Sun revealed that up to 40 emergency service workers, including police, paramedics and authorised officers were being assaulted each week.

Between 2023 and last year, Ambulance Victoria data showed that 105 paramedics were forced off the job due to injuries sustained from physical assaults.

There were also 398 reported “near misses” that involved verbal abuse and “aggressive behaviour”.

A St Vincent’s Hospital spokeswoman said they could not comment as it was a police matter.

It comes just weeks after the Herald Sun sounded the alarm on growing aggression and violence in our hospitals, and obtained shocking hospital data showing a Melbourne healthcare worker was confronted by a violent “armed or serious threat” every 12.8 hours.

The data revealed by this masthead showed metropolitan public hospitals were forced to activate an urgent security response to more than 680 “code blacks” – called by staff for an “armed or serious threat” – in the last financial year.

Never-before-seen incident logs released under freedom of information laws also revealed alarming new details about hospital attacks, detailing cases such as a man who “confronted” a worker with an “iron rod” and a woman who “lunged” at a staffer with a cutlery knife.

All of Melbourne’s major hospitals – including St Vincent’s – issued an unprecedented joint statement at the time, calling out the rise in “completely unacceptable” behaviour and urging the public to treat their staff with respect.

Anyone who can assist investigators with their inquiries into Monday’s assault should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au