It’s alarming to hear that the secretary of the Health Services Unit Gerard Hayes expects an audit of Orange Health Service to show there’s a shortfall in the number of security staff assigned to protect both the hospital and the mental health campus, Bloomfield.

If it is true, not only are security guards at risk so too are the medical staff, including doctors and nurses, and the auxiliary staff needed to keep the facilities operational.

However, if there are safety concerns about staff, it is logical to think both patients and their visitors will be at risk too.

Of course because Orange Health Service incorporates a mental heath campus there may be additional security needs associated with their patients.

It is not uncommon for psychiatric patients or people with drug or alcohol dependencies to have occasional violent outbursts, attempt to self harm or leave the facility.

In times of crisis when a patient absconds or there is concern over a patient’s welfare Orange police are often called in to bridge the gap between the health facility’s own security staff.

While police are looking for lost patients or helping to restrain a patient they may be unable to perform many of the other tasks expected of them.

According to Mr Hayes if more security guards were employed at the mental health facility it would cut police work by 50 per cent.

Surely if the findings of the audit are correct the answer is simple, but will require a budget shuffle.

Health services, including Orange, need to employ more security staff ensuring the safety of their staff, patients and visitors and freeing up the police to concentrate on their core job, which is ensuring the safety and well-being of the wider community