NI Casualty Staff 'Under Increasing Attack'

As the future of accident and emergency cover at a major Co Down hospital hung in the balance this week, there has been a call to tackle increasing levels of violence directed against A&E staff.

As the fate of the Downe Hospital's emergency facilities were being decided at the South Eastern Health Trust, the Stormont Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said he was alarmed and disgusted at the increase in attacks on staff by patients

The number of times the PSNI has been called to deal with a patient who has become threatening, abusive or violent has dramatically increased particularly in the Belfast and South Eastern Trust areas.

The Minister said: "I am absolutely appalled and disgusted by these violent and uncalled for attacks on health care staff.

"The figures in Belfast have more than doubled to 218 and in the South Eastern Trust have risen almost five times to 124 attacks.

"For patients who need urgent treatment to then attack the very people who have come to help them is disgraceful and these people should be thoroughly ashamed of their behaviour.

"Not only are they disruptive to other ill patients, but they are draining staff resources to deal with this where it could be better used," he fumed.

"People who assault any health and social care staff should face the full force of the law.

"That is why I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Police and Public Prosecution Services to ensure the protection of health service staff," he said, noting that healthcare staff and emergency services continue to be subjected to verbal and physical abuse on a daily basis.

Last year alone there were over 8,000 cases of verbal and physical abuse against healthcare staff.

Mr McGimpsey said: "I wish to reinforce the message of zero tolerance: zero tolerance on attacks; zero tolerance on abuse; and zero tolerance on threatening behaviour.

"Anti social behaviour in hospitals and attacks on healthcare workers is a serious issue and is one that I am working in partnership with the PSNI and the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) to address."

Responding to the Minister's statement on the increase of attacks on health and social care staff, BMA(NI) Chairman Dr Paul Darragh said: "We echo Minister McGimpsey's alarm and disgust at the increase of attacks on staff by patients.

"We repeatedly highlighted the unacceptable rise in physical and verbal abuse that doctors and other health care colleagues face in the course of treating patients.

"There is a personal and financial cost to such attacks. If doctors are injured, then they will be unable to treat the patient and will need to take time off to recover - this impacts directly on patient care and also costs the health service money, money that would be better spent on delivering care."

Dr Darragh continued: "BMA(NI) is calling for patients with a history of violence to be identified by placing a warning marker on their health record.

"This information should be shared between all healthcare organisations including primary, secondary and community care organisations, enabling healthcare staff to take appropriate precautions to ensure their own safety," the senior medic concluded.

Meanwhile, at the new Downe Hospital - a £64m facility that only opened its doors to patients in June 2009 - proposals to replace emergency casualty care with GPs on call to cover-out-of hour A&E services at the Downe and also to move acute inpatient mental health services from the Downe in Downpatrick and the Ulster in Dundonald to the Lagan Valley Hospital in Lisburn were being urgently examined yesterday.

However, it was today being criticised wither the Alliance Health Spokesperson Kieran McCarthy commenting: "It was a complete charade as they had officials make speech after speech rather than just announcing any decisions. They had to have known that there was a lot of interest in this meeting and I would be extremely concerned if this small venue was chosen to ensure that only a few members of the public could voice their opposition.

"My main concern was the proposal to shift mental health provision from the Ulster hospital to Lagan Valley. This was opposed by many residents and I believe that the Health officials are trying to avoid listening to the public.

"This meeting was a fiasco and I would urge them to re-schedule a better organised event in which all members of public can have a chance to have their say on these matters," he fumed.

(BMcC/GK)