Every staff member, patient and visitor deserves the right to feel safe at Western Australian public hospitals and health facilities.
The Department of Health has allocated $5 million to kick-off a system-wide initiative to address violence and aggression against health staff, and make hospitals and health facilities safer.
The initiative, run in conjunction with East Metropolitan Health Service, was developed following the Stop the Violence Summit, convened by the Minister for Health in June.
More than 100 healthcare staff, security, unions and other key stakeholders attended the Summit, and helped to identify key short, medium and long-term strategies to reduce violent and aggressive behaviour within hospitals.
Initiatives beginning immediately include:
- reviewing security procedures at hospital sites, to allow greater ‘flex up’ of actual security capacity to cover peak periods
- establishing additional Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) specialist positions at five hospitals: Royal Perth Hospital, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Joondalup Health Campus and Armadale Health Service
- developing a public awareness campaign across radio, digital channels and outdoor media, with complementary messaging also displayed within hospitals
- partnering with the WA Police Force to improve patient handover processes from police to hospital staff and to improve in-reach services to patients in custody.
Preparatory work has also commenced on other important strategies including:
- reviewing security equipment requirements such as CCTV
- developing a system-wide training package for hospital staff to identify and manage agitated and aggressive patients
- enhancing support options for staff following violent incidents
- developing tools and protocols for monitoring patients at high risk of violence and aggression.
The Department of Health is also working on implementing longer term strategies to address this issue.
Last reviewed: 29-10-2019