Sydney, Australia — Hospital staff in Sydney’s western suburbs have reached their breaking point, grappling with a recent surge in violent incidents, some of which have led to severe injuries among medical personnel. The increasing attacks underscore a broader crisis of safety in healthcare settings, where professionals face not only the challenges of care but also personal risks to their safety.
On a tense day in late June, chaos erupted at Westmead Hospital when a 39-year-old man allegedly inflicted injuries on four staff members, according to local police reports. Two security guards suffered knife wounds, another dislocated his shoulder, and a male nurse sustained minor injuries before authorities apprehended and charged the assailant with five offenses.
This incident is part of a disturbing pattern in the region. Data from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research indicate that assaults on hospital grounds nearly doubled over the last decade, with close to a thousand assaults reported from March 2023 to 2024. The density of these assaults is particularly high in the western suburbs, where healthcare facilities frequently record the most incidents.
Contributing to the problem is the pressure on the health system in these populous suburbs. Interviewed healthcare workers point to under-staffing and inadequate facilities as key factors exacerbating tensions on the ground. Wing Besilos, an ICU nurse with nearly three decades of experience at Westmead Hospital, expressed her concerns about inadequate security training and the lack of resources which leave staff vulnerable.
“We often face verbal threats, and I’ve seen colleagues threatened with objects from IV poles to scissors,” Besilos said. She emphasized that security personnel often lack the training necessary for de-escalation, further compromising safety in critical situations.
The local health professionals, including Teaghanne Sarina, another veteran nurse and a health and safety representative, underscored that the growing number of mental health crises among patients often go inadequately managed due to scant community resources. This shortage compels hospitals to manage cases in less than ideal circumstances, sometimes leading to aggressive behavior from patients in distress.
“These challenges stem largely from community-based resource inadequacies,” Sarina explained. “Our outpatient teams are overwhelmed and under-resourced, pushing more people into crisis situations by the time they reach us at the emergency departments.”
Local health authorities, alarmed by the trend, are exploring solutions. The NSW Government recently announced a 12-month trial implementation of body-worn cameras for security staff in selected public hospitals. This initiative will assess the cameras’ effectiveness in enhancing security and collecting potential evidence for prosecutions.
Up to 300 cameras are slated for use across several hospitals including Nepean Hospital and Westmead Hospital. “The safety of our healthcare workers and patients remains a top priority,” NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park remarked, emphasizing zero tolerance for violence and aggression in public hospitals.
Despite these efforts, some healthcare workers remain skeptical about the introduction of body cameras, fearing that they may inadvertently escalate tensions rather than curb them.
“The body cameras are a temporary measure. They won’t halt the aggression, just document it,” said Besilos, emphasizing the need for more profound changes to tackle the root causes of aggression in healthcare settings.
As the trial progresses, healthcare workers and union leaders will be closely monitoring its impact, ready to advocate for more comprehensive strategies if the need arises. Balancing patient care with worker safety is complex, but the resounding consensus among medical professionals is clear: sustainable solutions must address the broader social and systemic issues that feed into the cycle of violence they currently face.