263 assaults reported on nurses and healthcare workers in June

DUBLIN: There were 263 attacks on healthcare workers in Ireland last month, the majority of which were against nurses. According to figures given to Sinn Féin in response to a parliamentary question, there were 160 assaults on nurses working in the HSE in June.

There were 21 assaults on Allied Health Professionals, which includes occupational, physical and speech and language therapists or those working as medical technologists or sonographers. Two assaults against doctors and one assault on a dentist were also reported.

This includes all physical, verbal and sexual assaults on staff that have been reported to the HSE’s National Incident Management System.

Sinn Féin is calling for hospital management and gardaí to adopt a “zero tolerance” approach to protect the country’s frontline workers from such attacks.

The HSE said “the number of incident reports should not be considered as indicative of a level of harm. There may also be multiple reports relating to the same incident.”

Sinn Féin’s Spokesperson on Health David Cullinane said overcrowding in emergency departments is a factor in the level of assaults, adding that “there can be no justification for any assault on any healthcare professionals”.

“It is really important that there is a zero-tolerance approach taken by both hospitals and the gardaí when assaults are made,” he added.

He also highlighted a point made by the INMO that when you are under severe pressure, the number of assaults increases.

The HSE must ensure adequate safety and support in healthcare settings. Attacks on health workers just because someone is intoxicated, on drugs or frustrated, cannot be tolerated, Mr Cullinane said.