Hospital staff 'need training on abuse'

MANY victims of domestic violence who end up in casualty will not get the support they desperately need unless frontline staff are trained to recognise the telltale signs and deal with this sensitive issue.

St Columcille's Hospital in Loughlinstown found there was a big increase in reported incidences of domestic violence after training programmes were introduced for their frontline staff in May last year.

In particular, referrals of domestic violence victims to its social work department doubled from 36 between July 2002 and May 2003 to 74 over the equivalent 11-month period between June 2003 and April 2004.