South West Acute Hospital, Enniskillen RMGFH85
HEALTH SERVICE WORKERS in the Western Trust Area were physically or verbally abused over 1,000 times in the last year it has been revealed.
From April 1 2014 to March 31, 2015 there were 1,267 recorded incidents of verbal and or/physical abuse towards staff in facilities across the Trust area, with 78 of these taking place at the South West Acute Hospital.
The shocking statistics were highlighted this week by local MLA Phil Flanagan, who called for a direct line to be put in place between the South West Acute Hospital and Enniskillen Police Station in case of emergency. At present no such link is in place.
“A constituent who witnessed a recent disturbance in the SWAH brought the issue of the lack of direct communication between the local PSNI and the staff in the hospital, to my attention,” explained Mr Flanagan.
“ I was shocked to hear there was no direct contact and feel it is vitally important.
“The staff in the hospital deal with hundreds of patients on a daily basis, and with the current financial crisis, they are severely under pressure. The least that can be done is to provide a direct link to the local PSNI officers, which, in the event of a disturbance, would ensure the safety of all parties.”
On June 26 the MLA tabled a question to Health Minister Simon Hamilton asking him what consideration has been given to installing a direct communications system between staff at the Accident and Emergency department in the South West Acute Hospital, Enniskillen and the local PSNI station as a result of the frequency of violent attacks on hospital staff and other patients.
Jill Weir, branch secretary for the Fermanagh and Omagh Health Branch of Unison said these attacks were “unacceptable”.
“There is a zero tolerance policy within the Trust and this needs to be adhered to at all times. No member of staff within our health care system should be the victim of these attacks. Not only do staff face physical attacks, they can also be the victim of verbal abuse.
These attacks can also damage our health care system – this could add to staff sickness which in turn adds to staff shortages. The cost is not only on the person but on the NHS and other services.
Any form of abuse to NHS staff is unacceptable. The reported incidents of attacks on staff is alarming.”
While there is no facility connecting the hospital directly with the police station there are a number of panic alarms in place at various locations at the acute facility.
A Western Trust spokesman confirmed:
“A panic alarm system is in place at a number of locations throughout the South West Acute Hospital. The Trust is currently finalising plans to supplement this system with personal alarm devices in the Emergency Department. The alarm protocol is that the Panic Alarms sound in the Emergency Department and in the 24 hour Security Room to initiate an immediate response. Contact with the PSNI, where this is required, would be initiated separately.”
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