Health New Zealand to increase security at Middlemore Hospital’s Emergency Department

Health New Zealand (HNZ) said it will be increasing security at Middlemore Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) over the coming weeks after an attack on a nurse on Monday.

It also disputed claims by an employee, that staff affected were not offered mental health support following the incident.

A patient attempted to strangle an ED nurse on Monday afternoon and a 23-year-old man has been charged.

The incident comes just nine days after another nurse was hospitalised with stab wounds following a callout to a property in Rotorua.

An article published by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation’s (NZNO) publication, Kaitiaki, reported on Friday that a staff member at Middlemore said while there was usually a security presence in the ED, the guards were not present at the time of the attack.

Another staff member told Kaitiaki that other than being offered a week off work, those affected have not been offered mental health support.

Health NZ says it will increase security at Middlemore Hospital's Emergency Department.

HNZ’s national chief clinical officer Richard Sullivan told RNZ “no level of violence is acceptable” and it intends to increase security at Middlemore Hospital’s ED in the coming weeks to send a clear message that hospitals are no place for aggression.

“We have also asked security to increase how often they are walking through ED, and decided to station our police liaison within the department for the next week at least,” he said.

In addition, Sullivan said it has reviewed the placement and function of duress alarms, to ensure these will be more visible and easier to access if needed in the future.

He said HNZ has and will continue to offer extensive support to staff at Middlemore and Rotorua hospitals affected by the recent violent incidents.

Clinical psychologist support has been offered to those affected at Middlemore Hospital, as well as victim support, and EAP counsellors who have been regularly checking on staff at ED, Sullivan said.

“Anyone requiring support is encouraged to connect with their line manager, take up EAP, or connect with the support that has been offered,” he said.

Sullivan said HNZ was awaiting the outcome of the police investigations into these incidents.

The attack on a nurse was the second security incident at Middlemore Hospital in a week, following a firearm being discharged in the hospital’s carpark last Saturday.

Earlier, HNZ’s Counties Manukau acting group director of operations Dana Ralph-Smith said Middlemore Hospital is one of eight high-priority EDs that received an increased security budget over the summer period.

- RNZ

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