Assaults by patients on medical staff cost €1.5m

Irish medical staff are being assaulted by patients to such an extent that on average, once every three days a staff member has to take weeks off work, costing the taxpayer €1.5m a year.

New figures show 124 nurses, doctors and other staff were forced to take sick leave last year due to assaults that have left them with broken arms, stab wounds and being left unconscious after repeated blows to the head.

Details obtained by trade newspaper the Medical Independent confirm that last year 88 people working in the health service availed of the HSE’s ‘serious physical assault scheme,’ which is designed to financially support staff forced to take time off due to their injuries.