AN audit of Orange Health Service is expected to show there are not enough security guards to adequately cover the staff of the general hospital and mental health campus, according to the Health Services Union (HSU).
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“We are expecting an audit to start within the week and be completed in two months,” said HSU secretary Gerard Hayes.
Mr Hayes’ comments come after a seven-hour roundtable discussion between NSW Health and HSU representatives in Sydney on Monday to address violence in NSW hospitals, which is threatening staff and patients.
Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLaughlin said he welcomed and supported the security audit and comprehensive 12-point action plan, which came out of Monday’s discussions.
Mr Hayes said Orange and other hospitals needed adequate security guards with appropriate training.
“You can’t just take a bouncer and put them on duty as a security guard at a hospital,” he said.
“There has to be an approach that takes into account the clinical needs of a patient and we would see security staff as part of a team with appropriate training.”
As Orange has a mental health hospital, Mr Hayes says police are under added pressure to look for patients who abscond or to respond to concern for welfare calls and take people to the hospital for assessment.
“I expect if more security guards are introduced it will cut police work by 50 per cent,” he said.
Mr Hayes said the HSU continued to receive complaints from Bloomfield staff due to under-resourcing of security at the site.
“Assaults on our members are commonplace,” he said.
“After the unfortunate stabbing and death of one of our members we thought more resources would have been put into security, but it appears to us that isn’t the case,” he said.
“Security for our members has been an issue at Bloomfield for some time,” he said.
Mr Hayes complimented the security set-up in the emergency department at Orange Health Service.
“It is a good arrangement, but you only need to have a security guard in another part of the campus and there is no cover,” he said.
“More resources are definitely needed.”
Mr McLachlan said a minimum of three security staff per shift were always rostered on across the Orange Health Service.
“All of our health facilities including Orange Health Service, have processes and protocols in place to ensure the safety of patients, staff and visitors, and these processes are supported by duress alarm systems as well as CCTV,” he said.
Mr McLachlan said staff were trained to respond to incidents and how to de-escalate situations where possible, and were able to call on emergency support staff including senior staff, security and police officers, as necessary.
“All hospitals including Orange have a patient alert system, which is used to identify patients presenting a risk to the safety of staff and other patients,” he said.
Mr McLachlan said the Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Services liaise closely with police officers when they bring patients to the hospital.
“These patients are risk-assessed upon arrival and an extra security presence is provided where deemed necessary,” he said.
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au