Queensland Health Minister fails to commit to protecting health workers from convicted criminals inside mental health units

Vulnerable nurses still face the threat of attacks from prisoners being treated within mental health units, with a key minister failing to action the LNP’s pre-election promise.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls has failed to declare whether he’ll back changes to the Mental Health Act in a bid to better protect frontline workers inside mental health units. Picture: Richard Walker

Vulnerable nurses still face the threat of violent attacks from prisoners being treated within mental health units, with a key minister failing to action a pre-election promise from the LNP.

In September, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said a Coalition state government would amend the Mental Health Act, if elected, allowing correctional service officers to guard dangerous prisoners inside Queensland’s mental health units and psychiatric wards.

Staff at Cairns Hospital’s mental health unit have pleaded for years for safer working conditions. Picture: Brendan Radke

The call was prompted by frustrated mental health workers calling out repeated instances of violence, sexual harassment and aggression while treating some of the state’s worst criminals, including convicted rapists, murderers and armed robbers.

But Health Minister Tim Nicholls failed to back in the commitment at a press conference on Wednesday, instead declaring that any changes to legislation were under assessment.

“We are prepared to look at that and I’ve spoken to the chief executive here (at Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service) about that as I have in Townsville and Ipswich,” Mr Nicholls said when asked about changing the laws.

“If we do need to make those changes, if we’re asked to do that, we remain absolutely committed to making those changes.

“We will do so though … calmly and methodically. We will do it in consultation with the hospital and health services.”

While serving as Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie said the Mental Health Act “must change” to allow correctional service officers to guard prisoners inside Queensland’s mental health units. Picture: Liam Kidston

In contrast, Mr Bleijie called for urgent action last year to better protect staff treating mentally disturbed prisoners.

“If there is legislation preventing our frontline workers in our mental health units from being supported, protected and cared for then that absolutely must change,” he said.

“We can’t have a situation where nurses and patients at our public hospitals – when prisoners go there – aren’t protected. How did we get there?”

Asked how Queensland Health could better protect Cairns Hospital health workers following an assault on a nurse while walking to her car, Mr Nicholls said there were “limitations” as to what could be done.

“We do provide quite a lot of car parking but we have to work within the bounds of what we can control and not what we can’t control outside of these facilities,” he said.

“Each HHS has implemented different strategies for dealing with it.

“There are other options for the hospitals themselves to put in security arrangements, whether that involves security guards, additional lighting that’s been put in place, or cameras to provide a greater level of security for our hard working staff.”

Prisoners with histories of violent offending have often been treated within Queensland mental health units alongside other patients without security readily accessible.

The Health Minister said he would consider opening a dedicated mental health unit for prisoners in Cairns in the future.

“The incidence of mental health issues not only within the prisoner community but the broader community is increasing,” Mr Nicholls said.

“I think that’s something we will look at as we see where health is going over the next eight years or so.”

The QNMU are calling on the government to urgently put in place solutions to recruit more staff, retain the existing workforce and ensure they feel respected, as part of negotiations with Queensland Health this week.

Recently, nearly 1000 nurses and midwives across the state’s public health system sent through stories of workplace pressures to the union, with frontline workers citing “burnout” as a major concern within the sector.

Originally published as Queensland Health Minister fails to commit to protecting health workers from convicted criminals inside mental health units