Ipswich Hospital guards told not to help nurses who fear walking to cars after shifts

Patients and staff outside Queensland hospitals are being forced to fend for themselves against violent thugs because security are being told not to intervene, a breakaway nurse union has claimed.

Patients and staff outside Queensland hospitals are being forced to fend for themselves against violent thugs because security guards are being told not to intervene, a breakaway nurse union has claimed.

It comes after a frightening incident at a hospital in the state’s southeast where three nurses were allegedly bashed by a patient thrown out of the emergency ward for being aggressive.

The attack at Ipswich Hospital on Anzac Day involved a nurse being repeatedly kicked as she lay in a foetal position on the ground, with two other nurses forced to intervene to aid their colleague.

Meredith Ln (aka Rape Alley) near Ipswich Hospital. Picture: Lucas Salvatori

One of the nurses who came to help broke their wrist, while the others sustained bruising.

It’s the latest in a string of violent assaults over the last 12 months that has built on calls by the breakaway union Nurses’ Professional Association of Queensland for practical solutions to keep staff safe between leaving the hospital and getting to their cars at the end of a shift.

NPAQ president Kara Thomas said nurses and midwives were paying the price for a lack of accountability when it came to their safety.

“We’ve received horrifying reports of security standing by, watching a nurse be assaulted … because they’re not ‘authorised’ to intervene, even five metres from the hospital entrance,” she said.

The issue of safety for staff immediately outside the hospital, particularly after dark, was also stark at Redcliffe and Cairns hospitals, according to NPAQ.

After the latest bashing at Ipswich Hospital, angry staff said they were verbally told at staff meetings to walk to their cars in pairs for safety.

“It’s like they’re putting the onus on us for protecting our safety,’’ an Ipswich nurse said.

“We joke about Meredith Ln (a dark, lonely nearby street) being called ‘rape alley’. But it isn’t a joke.’’

Another nurse said the bashed nurse now carried a rape whistle due to fear.

Queensland Health’s occupational violence guidebook calls for staff to be escorted around external areas of hospitals, like car parks, after dark.

West Moreton Health, which runs Ipswich Hospital, confirmed escorts were available 24/7 upon request. There was also a shuttle bus that ran until 11.20pm with flexible drop-off options from 5pm complete with security guard.

“A range of safety enhancements have been implemented across our facilities, including the installation of advanced CCTV systems, additional security cameras, and improved lighting throughout hospital grounds,” chief executive Hannah Bloch said.

But a nurse said a hospital shuttle drop-off at Ipswich’s Limestone Park was not safe as workers were frequently accosted by aggressive, homeless people as soon as they got off the bus.

Ms Thomas said no nurse should have to choose between personal safety and a pay cheque.

“These aren’t just workplace incidents. They are traumatic, preventable acts of occupational violence happening on Queensland Health’s watch.”

Staff parking at many hospitals, such as Prince Charles Hospital in Chermside, is often dark and deserted, leaving night shift staff feeling unsafe. Picture: Steve Polhner

Originally published as Ipswich Hospital guards told not to help nurses who fear walking to cars after shifts