Country Labor candidate for Dubbo Stephen Lawrence said Labor has a four-point plan to boost security at NSW hospitals.

Mr Lawrence said official figures reveal that in the last 12 months there have been eight assaults on staff, patients and families in the Dubbo electorate, seven in Dubbo and one in Mudgee. 

This is a jump from six in the previous year.

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Labor leader Luke Foley said the Health Services Union’s long-running campaign for greater security in hospitals has been met with silence from the Berejiklian Government. 

Mr Lawrence said the Liberals have been sitting on their hands as violence increases in our state’s hospitals. 

“The Berejiklian Government is refusing to take action to secure our hospitals and make it a place of safety - where patient care can come first. This is particularly important in country areas where hospitals are located often in areas of comparatively lower policing,” he said. 

“Doctors, nurses and health and hospital workers are passionately committed to patient care – but we must protect them so they can do their jobs.

“More security guards mean that patients, their families and hard-working staff will have safer working and treatment environments.”

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National Party candidate for Dubbo Dugald Saunders said the state government has demonstrated its commitment to health and hospitals. 

“Look at the amazing re-development of Dubbo hospital and $70 million funding for a brand new hospital at Mudgee, they are good examples of that,” he said.

“In regards to security, there’s been no suggestion of any spike in violent incidents in hospitals across this electorate. I think we all want staff, patients and visitors to feel safe and secure in all health facilities. I’d be interested in seeing the budget allocated to provide the extra staff, and particularly for this electorate.”

Labor’s four-point plan includes employing an additional 250 Health Security Staff in its first term; upgrading all hospital security officers to “Health Security Staff” with additional powers similar to Special Constables who can carry weapons such as pepper spray and batons; provide extra training for Health Security Staff, including skills to defuse hostile situations; and create a specialist Secure Hospitals Unit within NSW Health to oversee the activity of new health security staff and conduct safety audits of the State’s more than 200 hospitals - especially the State’s more than 80 emergency departments.

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