Nurses face assaults and verbal aggression at work every day

The shocking figures of five assaults on nursing staff per day in June were released to Sinn Féin’s health spokesperson David Cullinane. Stock picture

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has said it is establishing a new occupational health division, which comes amid calls for the watchdog to help tackle the number of healthcare workers being assaulted in their day-to-day duties.

Nurses are working in a “pressure cooker-type environment” which is leading to more assaults, and more must be done to protect them, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said.