"Distressing" accounts of hospital violence — NSW to recruit 129 security staff

“Violence in our hospitals is unacceptable — accounts of these incidents are distressing and we are determined to clamp down on these occurrences,” said NSW Health Minister Ryan Park on 11 November, confirming that the NSW Government will recruit an additional 129 full-time-equivalent frontline security staff.

Part of a $113 million investment, the recruitment will result in full-time security across 27 hospitals across the state, the government said.

“We have made significant efforts to improve security at our hospitals over the past three-and-a-half years,” Park also said, with the government advising that since 2023, it has recruited 180 security staff at NSW public hospitals — a 13% increase.

“Today, I can announce we are boosting these efforts by recruiting a further cohort of frontline security staff — a first step in an ongoing effort to improve safety — and we will continue to work closely with the HSU,” Park added.

Regarding the announcement, NSW HSU (Health Services Union) Secretary Gerard Hayes said: “Emergency departments are the main gateway to patients entering our health system and one of the busiest areas that can lead to incidents of aggression and violence.

“This first step is a positive one, but our members need to have more support and the ability to prevent incidents from occurring in the first place.”

To support the prevention and management of violence, the government said that NSW Health facilities already have several key strategies in place. These include:

• ​early recognition and management of a patient at risk of escalating behaviour;
• making risk-related information available to all relevant staff, as well as violence-prevention and management education for staff;
• safety huddles at the commencement of each shift;
• proactive security staff patrolling;
• enabling staff to summon assistance;
• limiting unauthorised access by individuals to clinical areas; and
• closed circuit television monitoring in high-risk areas.
   

Image credit: iStock.com/Jacob Wackerhausen