Michael Healy to meet with health workers following repeated attacks on nurses inside troubled Cairns ward

A Far North MP has confirmed he will meet with angry nurses following further reports of violent attacks and sexual harassment against staff.

Minister for Tourism and Sport and Member for Cairns Michael Healy plans to meet with health workers at Cairns Hospital “as soon as possible. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

A Far North MP has confirmed he will meet with angry nurses following further reports of violent attacks and sexual harassment against staff — with Premier Steven Miles again avoiding questions around security within Cairns Hospital’s troubled Mental Health Inpatient Unit.

Member for Cairns Michael Healy labelled recent reports of health workers being bashed by prisoners from Lotus Glen Correctional Centre seeking treatment as “unacceptable” and said he would sit down with concerned medical staff in the near future.

Member for Cairns Michael Healy, Queensland Premier Steven Miles at a press conference in Woree on Thursday. Picture: Brendan Radke

Mr Healy said there was no reason for frontline workers to feel unsafe in the workplace.

“Nobody should be under the concerns that I’ve heard that they allegedly have,” he said. “That’s why I want to sit down with them and we want to work through the issues that they have.

“Once I’ve ascertained the exact nature of what their concerns are, then I want to be able to help them.”

Cairns Base Hospital’s Kerwin St entry where some mental health services within Cairns hospital are currently based. Picture Emily Barker.

The Cairns Post first reported of trouble inside the hospital in May, including a case where an 11-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital’s Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit where patients from Lotus Glen are detained.

Further reports by The Australian have since revealed more cases of violence against staff, including an incident where a private security guard was nearly choked to death last month by a mental health patient.

Prior to visiting Cairns on Thursday, Mr Miles’ staff were informed questions would be asked about hospital staff’s safety within the MHIU at a press conference.

But for the second time this month, the Premier ducked the questions, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese abruptly ending the media event.

No response to subsequent questions put in an email were received prior to deadline and a request to speak to Mr Miles after the media opportunity was also denied.

A rendered impression of a finished Cairns Mental Health Unit. Picture: Supplied

But Mr Healy said he was committed to finding a solution to the problem.

“What I’ve heard is unacceptable in any workplace,” he said.

“What I want to do is get to the real root of the problem, identify a solution and I want to talk to the Health Minister (Shannon Fentiman) and see if we can come up with the best outcomes.”

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) CEO Leena Singh. Picture: Brendan Radke

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service CEO Leena Singh said she also planned to meet with MHIU workers in the near future.

“I have committed to assess the capacity and availability of security at our Mental Health Inpatient Unit and have scheduled time with our frontline staff to listen directly to their concerns,” Ms Singh said.

“For the past month, there has been a 24/7 static security presence in the hospital’s Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit.

“Our security officers are well-trained and swift to respond to duress alarms. During any given 24-hour period, we have 24 security officers on duty at the hospital, including a combination of patrolling officers, CCTV monitors, and supervisors.”

A whistleblower in May said an alarming increase in attacks on staff over the last two years had prompted employees to finally speak out with four nurses attacked by mental health patients in a two-month period.

“One nurse got punched in the face, had a split lip and went to the ED for neuro observations for four hours recently,” they said.

“It’s highly dangerous. A lot of senior nurses are really burned out because we’ve been fighting this for so long.

“We’re just not getting anywhere.”

Multiple calls to LNP candidate for Cairns Yolonde Entsch weren’t answered prior to deadline but Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleije said recently that the LNP would amend the Mental Health Act, if elected, in October.

Earlier this month eight of the 10 PICU beds were reportedly occupied by patients under forensic orders, meaning they had allegedly committed a crime but weren’t mentally well enough to stand trial.

UPDATE: Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has provided a statement after deadline regarding staff safety with Cairns Hospital’s Mental Health Inpatient Unit.

“Everyone who goes to work deserves to feel safe. Security officers service the mental health unit 24/7 and for more than a month there has been a static 24/7 security presence at the Cairns Mental Health PICU.

“At any one time, there are no more than two patients from Lotus Glen in the mental health unit. The clinical advice I have received says that having correctional officers within the unit would likely impact the treatment of other non-custodial patients, which make up around 96% of patients.

“I have spoken with the Chief Executive of Cairns Hospital to see what further support Queensland Health can provide, and through the QNMU, I have asked the local member, Michael Healy, to meet with the nurses to see what else can be done.

“There is always more than can be done, which is why this year the Miles Labor government is investing $38 million to hospital security with more security officers and enhanced resources like body cams, and next year we will open a brand new 53 bed Mental Health Unit for Cairns.”

Originally published as Michael Healy to meet with health workers following repeated attacks on nurses inside troubled Cairns ward