Public hospitals were forced to activate an urgent security response to more than 680 code blacks last financial year

Acting Premier Ben Carroll has conceded the government may need to look at tougher legislation to crack down on violence against hospital workers, after a shocking rise in aggressive incidents.

Acting Premier Ben Carroll has conceded the government may need to look at tougher legislation to crack down on violence against hospital workers.

It comes as the state opposition on Thursday vowed to reconsider a 2022 election pledge to have PSOs patrol near hospitals as an added safety measure.

Shocking hospital data shows that Melbourne healthcare workers are confronted by a ­violent “armed or serious threat” every 12.8 hours, as public hospitals reveal aggressive incidents are increasing.

Facing questions after the Herald Sun revealed the shocking abuse levelled at healthcare staff, Mr Carroll said the government had a “zero tolerance approach” to abuse.

“We will always look at what we can do,” he said, when asked if the government needed to consider further measures.

“We will have a discussion about this with the Health Minister, with the relevant authorities, with the relevant unions.

“It is not to be tolerated. There is no need for any violence in any workplace.”

Deputy Premier Ben Carroll said the government has a zero tolerance approach to abuse. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier on Thursday said the government needed to reconsider deploying PSOs to hospitals.

At the last state election, the Liberals pledged a two-year trial to have PSOs provide around the clock support from external stations adjacent to hospitals.

On Thursday, Ms Crozier said she would take that policy back to shadow cabinet for endorsement ahead of the 2026 state election.

“We have to be protecting the staff and patients,” she said.

But Mr Carroll said the government wasn’t considering PSOs.

In 2011, a Parliamentary Inquiry recommended that Protective Services Officers not be used at hospitals.

A government spokeswoman said: “Brad Battin’s Shadow Health Minister is trying to re-hash a failed and reckless policy idea – this is despite expert witnesses telling a parliamentary committee that it would make hospitals more dangerous.”

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.

Internal hospital data obtained by the Herald Sun shows code blacks – the most serious level of alert by staff – have risen, with 583 in the previous 2023 financial year.

The figures have prompted every major public health service in Melbourne to call out the rising levels of aggression in a rare joint statement.

Never-before seen incident logs released under freedom of information laws have revealed alarming new details about hospital attacks.

A man who “confronted” a worker with an “iron rod”, a woman who “lunged” at a staffer with a cutlery knife and a patient, brought in by police, who had a knife were among the most serious threats across Victoria in recent years.

The data, from about 80 incidents, describes patients who threw everything from furniture to crockery or medical supplies or used their bare hands to punch, kick, hit, scratch or – in at least one case – grab their victim “by the throat”.

Health services across Melbourne are calling out the rise in violence. Picture: Supplied

Other concerning cases – while marked as resulting in “no harm” – included inappropriate touching of a nurse and a home-visit patient who “physically attacked and trapped clinicians at his property”.

The data, which the health department tried to block the release of for several months, shows some individuals were such a threat that staff must call an automatic code black and – in one case – had to take out a restraining order.

Staff also faced verbal and psychological abuse, Many patients were aggressive and damaged property or made serious verbal threats, including to kill staff.

The data covering November 2020 to June 2023 only captured incidents reported to the health department, so does not cover all code blacks at ­Victoria’s hospitals.

All of Melbourne’s major public health services said such behaviour was “completely unacceptable” and they invested in safety training and education for staff.

But “challenging incidents continue to occur”, said the joint statement from the Royal Women’s, Melbourne and Children’s Hospitals; Western, Peninsula, Alfred, Monash, Austin, Eastern and Northern Health services; Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and public private-public partnerships St Vincent’s and the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.

“With incidents of aggression toward healthcare workers on the rise we – as some of Victoria’s leading public health services – are calling for the community’s support to ­respect the nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals who care for you and your loved ones,” they said.

The Herald Sun collated the code black data for every public metropolitan hospital after the health department said it only collected information on some incidents, and did not have totals for individual hospitals or for the state.

Violent hospital incidents have serious impacts on healthcare workers. Picture: Supplied

The analysis reveals that code blacks have increased for at least three consecutive years, and come on top of thousands of code greys – a lower-level alert for a violent or potentially violent situation.

By last financial year, the services running some of Melbourne’s busiest and biggest hospitals – Eastern and Monash Health – were responding to two to three code blacks every week, on average.

Health services rates can vary because of multiple factors, including significant differences in their size, patient demographics, location and specialities.

Several services noted many of their code blacks involved drug or alcohol-affected ­patients, and psychiatric or dementia patients. Emergency and mental health wards ­offered much higher risk.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Victorian branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said ultimately all wards – from birthing suites to palliative care – had violent verbal and physical abuse that “ruined” lives, families and ­careers.

“Some nurses and midwives are never able to return to work,” she said.

“Hospital managements and executives must continue to do more to protect nurses and midwives and ensure they go home safely to their loved ones after a shift,” she said.

She said the Allan government should make health – like mining or construction – a regulated industry to ensure tougher worker safety rules, while the department should drive “urgent” system reform to avoid “piecemeal approaches” across services.

Australian Medical Association Victoria branch president Dr Jill Tomlinson said workplace violence was an “unacceptable” but “ongoing” healthcare issue, calling for a “zero tolerance” approach.

‘We have seen healthcare workers and doctors sustain ­serious injuries and even death,” she said.

Hospitals needed better resources to counter the problem. While most patients knew clinicians were “doing their very best in a stretched system”, emergency department delays heightened tensions.

A health department spokesman said hospitals used security personnel, CCTV and duress alarms – plus a range of initiatives such as de-escalation training.

“We’re working closely with health services to ensure they meet their responsibilities,” he said.

Originally published as Public hospitals were forced to activate an urgent security response to more than 680 code blacks last financial year