AMA (NSW) President welcomes hospital security audit

AMA (NSW) President, Clinical Associate Professor Saxon Smith, has welcomed the Government’s response to the issue of violence in the state’s hospitals.

“As recent incidents have shown, a review of NSW hospital security is sorely needed to protect patients and hospital staff.

“AMA (NSW) welcomes the audit of safety measures at hospitals by the NSW Government.

“In particular, I’m glad to see NSW Health will be looking at the design of emergency departments.

“Abusive patients who are under the influence of drugs and / or alcohol need to be separated from other patients for everyone’s safety.

“That is just not possible in many hospital emergency departments right now,” Clin A/Prof Smith said.

“Abusive patients are quite literally robbing sick and injured patients of the attention of doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff.

“For every doctor who is punched, kicked, spat on or involved in attempting to subdue someone high on ice or extremely drunk, there are many more patients forced to wait longer for care.

“And this puts aside the fact that doctors injured by an abusive patient may not be at the top of their game when seeing other patients during their shift,” Clin A/Prof Smith said.

“While hospital emergency departments are certainly a focal point for the safety review, I would like to see it extended to healthcare workers in the community.

“It is well-known that paramedics often face violence in doing their work outside of hospitals.

“What’s less well-known is that GPs and other health workers regularly face threatening situations in their work.

“It’s important that we maintain the security of all health workers and their patients, wherever they happen to be,” Clin A/Prof Smith said.

Media contact: Lachlan Jones (02) 9902 8113 / 0419 402 955