03 5662 2294 www.thestar.com.au Tuesday, July 9, 2019
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We’re going to have people come in and they’re going to swear at us, they’re going to throw something at us, they’re going to abuse us...
WORKERS UNDER
THREAT
Local hospitals on high alert Matt Dunn EALTHCARE staff have been assaulted and abused on the job, forcing to them to take stress leave – but they’re refusing to cop it anymore.
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Wonthaggi Hospital staff reported 164 incidents of occupation violence and aggression in the financial years 2016-17 and 2017-18. Figures have not been tallied up for 2018-19, but are believed to have climbed reporteven higher, with awareness and report ing of events increasing. “There’s
been assaults, with staff being hit, punched and kicked – and staff take stress leave because of what they’ve suffered,� health safety emergency manager Greg Tingate said. “A lot of violence and aggression has been under-reported. There’s been a public campaign to say, if you come into our healthcare services, you should be respectful of the people who are working in them. “People have been mindful of what they should do when they come into our spaces, but there’s still more to do. “We’re going to have people come in they’re and they re going to swear at us, they’re they re going to throw something at us, they’re going to abuse us.� A security guard has
been added to the overnight roster, a time when workers are more vulnerable. Nurse unit manager Jane Ori said it wasn’t just the physical threat but the “psychological effect� that comes in the wake of an attack. “Especially when you’re dealing with it day after day after day,� Mr Tingate said. “It’s a constant in your work life and it builds up if you don’t let people know what’s going on for you.� That’s not to say things are getting worse at the hospital or that Wonthaggi is an abuse hot spot. Rather, healthcare workers, including those at Wonthaggi, are taking a stance against the abuse. Continued on page 5.
STRIKING SCENE: A still from a 2015 anti-ice campaign. Wonthaggi Hospital recorded 164 incidents of occupation violence and aggression in the financial years 2016-17 and 2017-18.
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