Hospital assaults are rare, say Health
Monday 24th May 2010, 2:58PM BST.
Security at the Hospital is being reviewed
HOSPITAL management have admitted that staff do get assaulted – but say that it happens rarely.
The JEP reported claims by a Health employee on Saturday that staff were regularly spat at, attacked and verbally abused as they tried to carry out their jobs at the Hospital. His comments came just days after two elderly patients were subjected to an unprovoked attack as they lay in their beds.
James Le Feuvre, acting deputy chief officer of Health, said that physical assaults were rare, but unfortunately did happen from time to time.
‘If assaults do occur, we review each incident,’ he said. ‘Following last week’s alleged assault, a review of that incident is taking place and as part of the broader review, security arrangements are also being considered.’
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I’m guessing that this has probably been blown out of proportion because on the recent attack of staff at the hospital. I’m sure it does happen, but this article makes it sound worse than it probably is.
Whats stopping the hospital from arranging security? 2 guys walk a few laps around the hospital a night. Done. The presence alone of security staff will surly prevent the violent and abusive people from stepping out of line.
The hospital should also operate a zero tolerance policy for people who are not mentally unstable. If you are abusive you can leave. refusing treatment is a risky policy but at the same time you have to send a message
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Nobody deserves to be assaulted but the way most patients are treated like cattle, it’s not surprising some get angry.
Left waiting ’til way after their appointment time (my record 1 hour 40 mins), doctors talking amongst themselves while ignoring the patient, porters who grab wheelchairs and start walking without even speaking to the occupant, blood tests having to be repeated because the first one got lost! All these are personal experiences not gossip.
Those who do their jobs well tend to get the agro because the others just scuttle past. Remember patients are human beings too – respect must work both ways.
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I’m totally lost here.I thought Richard Joualt was acting Deputy CEO so where has Mr.Le Feuvre reappeared from.Wasn’t he in charge of the New Directions project for H&SS so where has that gone to and is this another job creation.?
If it is,safe the money and improve security.Seems easy to me.
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Assaults are an everyday occurrences within the hospitals. Not all assaults are recorded on the Datix (electronic incident form). The Porters once had some training in de-escalation (Control and Restraint), but this has failed to be updated for the past 4 years and wasn’t taught to all the porters, which then required to be refreshed every 6 to 12 months, for the training to be valid. Quite like having a first-aid certificate and not bothering to refresh.. The porting numbers aren’t enough at night time, because the minimum and safe number required to restraint is four persons… The hospitals are now using the Bradford factor to record staff sickness, and given the sword of Damocles hanging over the porters department it just isn’t fair to be assaulted and injured in work and then to be victimised by HR dept for being assaulted..
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#3 cookiecrumble
Richard Jouault is acting director until the controversial new Chief Officer arrives from the UK. He was indeed the main architect of ‘New Directions’, so presumably now hs is in a position of authority he is driving the strategy forward.
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Thanks no.5 so he is Acting Chief Officer.He was also the architect for ISAS and the ageing population-where did that one disappear to under Mike Pollard and Mr.Joualt’s leadership.?
Same way as New Directions me thinks,Backwards.!
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#2 J – Vote with your feet and change doctor, it is allowed you know? And if people did it and the bad doctors had no patients, well, there goes their income!
I have a tendency to say how good my doctor is, but then again maybe he treats me with respect because I treat him with respect? It would be interesting to see him with a bad patient.
Anyway, the simple answer is a zero-tolerance policy. People need treatment, if they realise it can, and will, be refused they will soon start behaving like humans.
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I beg to disagree with your headline “Hospital assualts are rare, say Health”.
I recently went in for a routine operation and was told that they were taking me to the theatre. Upon arriving, imagine my surprise when I was suddenly confronted by a man in a mask trying to cut me with a knife!
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