Hospital set to banish hoodies

LINDY ANDREWS
Hoodies are likely to be banned from Hawke's Bay Hospital as staff face increasing violence and abuse.
Staff recorded 153 incidents of sexually inappropriate behaviour, violence, verbal abuse and intimidation against them in the year to December 2005.
Wearing gang patches is already banned at the hospital and gang members generally co-operate, Hawke's Bay District Health Board communications adviser Karalyn van Deursen said on Thursday.
"Hoodies are more of a problem, however. People wearing their hoods up can been seen as intimidating and hoods prevent identification of people filmed by security cameras."
People wearing hoodies were asked by staff to lower them, but a total ban was likely in new security policy under development, she said.
Sweatshirts worn with the hood up - a spin-off of American street culture popular among Kiwi teenagers - are also likely to be banned at Wellington Hospital, which reports a monthly average of 14 incidents of abuse against staff. A total of 50 assaults on staff and 51 episodes of aggressive and/or threatening behaviour were reported at Hawke's Bay Hospital last year, an average of 12.75 incidents a month. Two staff logged incidents of sexually aggressive or inappropriate behaviour. Patients were responsible for 85 percent of complaints. Ninety-five incidents were logged to July 31 this year, an average of 13.57 each month.