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Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Maddy Harradence.Credit: Chris Hopkins<\/p>\n
Australian Medical Association Victorian president Dr Simon Judkins blamed the increase in violence on overcrowding, long waits in hospitals and inadequate access to health services in the broader community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people can\u2019t get the care they need in the community, they end up in the emergency department,\u201d said Judkins, who works as an emergency physician.<\/p>\n
\u201cCombine that with mental health needs, drug and alcohol issues, long waits for care and the high stress of being in an emergency department – no wonder they get angry and upset.\u201d<\/p>\n
He has received reports that patients and families are smuggling an increasing number of weapons, such as knives and syringes, into emergency departments.<\/p>\n
In a bid to stem the violence \u2013 which can range from verbal threats to physical assaults \u2013 hospitals are installing lockdown security doors and 24\/7 response teams.<\/p>\n
One mental health nurse, who did not want to be identified because she was not authorised to speak publicly, said a patient recently threw her onto a wall, while another had chased her into the staffroom and tried to kick down the door while she was trembling inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was running for my life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The nurse said that the drug methamphetamine, or ice, had made patients more violent.<\/p>\n
She said staff experienced violence daily, but rarely reported these incidents unless they resulted in physical injuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s constant verbal abuse,\u201d she said. \u201cAt times, staff get spat on. The patients often chase me around corridors.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Victorian healthcare workers want legislative changes amid a rise in violent incidents at hospitals.Credit: Marija Ercegvoac<\/p>\n
The Health and Community Services Union and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation are calling for health to be made a regulated industry under the Occupational Health and Safety Act \u2013 like the male-dominated industries of construction and mining \u2013 so that hospitals can be prosecuted for not doing enough to protect staff.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Sprekos, assistant state secretary of the Health and Community Services Union, said it was demoralising for staff to report violent incidents and then not see any meaningful change come about as a result.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrauma after trauma really takes a toll on staff,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Fewer than half of mental health emergency department presentations were assigned a mental health bed within eight hours, according to Department of Health\u2019s last annual report.<\/p>\n
Northern Health, which provides healthcare to Melbourne\u2019s northern suburbs, reported the highest number of violent incidents in Victoria, with 4275 cases, up from 3649 the previous year. This equates to 69 violent incidents per 100 full-time employees.<\/p>\n
In the 2022-23 financial year, there were 643 incidents.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery staff member has the right to feel safe at work, and we take this issue extremely seriously,\u201d a Northern Health spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
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The spokesperson said the increase in reported cases of workplace violence was due to staff being encouraged to report incidents. The health service had invested heavily in staff training, de-escalation techniques and support services, the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
Latrobe Regional Health was the healthcare service with the second-highest number of violent incidents, with 1842, up from 543 the previous year.<\/p>\n
Monash Health, which covers Melbourne\u2019s south-eastern suburbs, recorded the third-highest figure with 1439 cases, which was a decrease on the previous year\u2019s 1576. However, the vast majority of health services reported a spike in violence.<\/p>\n
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