Patient allegedly attacks several nurses, police and member of the public at Sydney hospital
Calls for more security measures after man, 51, arrested over alleged assaults at Prince of Wales hospital
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A hospital attack that left a nurse seriously injured has fuelled calls for improved safety and security after several violent incidents in emergency departments.
Police restrained a 51-year-old patient after he allegedly assaulted several nurses, police and a member of the public in a Saturday night melee at Sydney’s Prince of Wales hospital.
The man seriously injured a nurse’s leg before assaulting two others and a security guard, police were told.
During the same incident, the man allegedly assaulted a 26-year-old woman, who was trying to protect a nearby patient, with a garbage bin.
He is also accused of assaulting an officer who attempted to speak to him, before police shot him with a Taser and placed him under arrest.
He was then moved to a secure facility within the hospital.
The injured nurse was admitted to the hospital for further treatment while the officer, hospital staff and a member of the public were treated at the scene, but did not require further medical care.
Police did not specify where in the hospital the incident took place, but the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association said it highlighted the need for improved security and safety measures in emergency departments.
“We are deeply alarmed by the alleged attack on several nurses at Prince of Wales hospital overnight,” the association’s general secretary Michael Whaites said.
“Nurses go to work to care for the most sick and vulnerable members of the community.
“Government and employers must do more to ensure they are safe, no matter the situation.
“With higher acuity and higher volumes of unwell patients, rates of violence and aggression in our hospitals are escalating and more must be done to make hospitals safer for staff and patients.”
A recent report from the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association revealed 88% of respondents had experienced violence in the previous year.
In June 2024, multiple security guards and a nurse were injured when a 39-year-old patient allegedly slashed at staff at Westmead hospital in western Sydney.
A woman was arrested in early April after allegedly walking into a ward at Royal Prince Alfred hospital and attacking a patient with a hammer, causing severe head injuries.
In a bid to curb violence against staff, some NSW hospitals have set up dedicated mental health units within their emergency departments.
The nurses’ association said it would work with those impacted, management and SafeWork NSW to identify areas for improvement in the aftermath of Saturday’s incident.
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