Garda patrols help reduce assaults on hospital staff

GARDA patrols in hospitals have helped reduce the number of attacks on hospital staff.

It’s estimated that more than two violent assaults take place every week in hospitals, with a far greater number of incidents of verbal abuse.

The statistics show that half of hospital staff are victims of, or threatened with, violence at work. Those in areas such as accident and emergency wards and psychiatric hospitals face an even higher risk.

Hospital Watch Schemes, introduced in a number of hospitals and health boards in the last year, have reported an overall improvement in crime levels

In the Midlands, Garda Padraig Farrelly, crime prevention officer in the Laois/Offaly division, said the scheme had been a “great success” in Tullamore Hospital since it was set up last year.

“Hospital Watch is basically a common sense scheme mixed in with a very serious crime prevention programme in which An Garda Síochána and hospital security enlist the co-operation of all staff at the hospital,” said Gda Farrelly. “Every crime imaginable happens in a hospital setting; handbags are stolen in A&E units, staff lockers are broken into, cash or personal goods stolen, drugs stolen; nurses leaving hospital are being assaulted.”

Gda Farrelly said a liaison officer at the hospital contacts gardaí after an incident and that he himself in constantly available.

“Personal attack alarms are now in A&E, and the hospital itself is no longer open 24 hours. You have to look for admission after 10pm,” he said.

“A new CCTV system is in place which makes staff feel a lot safer. And on the subject of staff, they are reporting incidences now, much more than before.”

John Hennessy, general manager for the Mid Western regional hospitals, including Limerick and Ennis, said the hospitals were on the routine garda patrols and response times to incidents were three to five minutes.

“Our statistics show since 2002 that crime at the hospital has in fact decreased. This is definitely attributed to a garda presence.”

There was a 500% increase in violent assaults in Limerick Regional Hospital over an 18-month period between 2000 and 2001.

During that time there were 64 violent or aggressive attacks. As a result 27 people were convicted for possession of a knife, criminal damage or public order offences.

A Hospital Watch Scheme was set up with gardaí which included an upgraded CCTV system, personal alarms for staff, walkie talkies for medical staff, a garda phone link and swipe access to ‘high risk’ areas.

Mick McMahon, chief security officer at Cork University Hospital, the first hospital to introduce the scheme, said crime figures for 2003 were down on 2002.