Security considered for hospital

One nurse described the situation as "frightening"

A hospital in Londonderry is considering whether to recruit security personnel to protect staff and patients.

A consultant at Altnagelvin Hospital said the proposed move followed a number of incidents in its Accident and Emergency department over the Christmas period.

We're trying to run a hospital and we can do without this drunken nonsense at night

Dr Alan McKinney

Dr Alan McKinney described some of the situations which have occurred as "completely unacceptable".

He said: "We have medical, nursing, portering and other staff who are being regularly confronted by violent, aggressive, drunken people in the department and this jeopardises their ability perform their ordinary work. So staff are at risk, along with patients and their relatives.

"The difficulty is money spent on security staff is money not spent on hospital services.

"We're asking the public to treat the hospital with some respect, to allow nurses to get on with their jobs."

Dr McKinney said the common feature linking the incidents was the abuse of alcohol that many involved young men.

He said: "The most likely culprits are 18 to 35-year-old males, late at night with alcohol on board.

"Last year we had 90 episodes where staff felt seriously under threat including episodes where pieces of furniture or medical equipment were thrown at staff and where people were punched, held against walls or threatened with implements."

"We're trying to run a hospital and we can do without this drunken nonsense at night."

He said measures such as video cameras and a security review group had been put in place.

It is a hospital and not a prison. People do have to get in there for treatment, they have to get in maybe very fast

Annie Courtney
assembly member

Other measures being considered include self locking doors and the recruitment of security staff, a function currently being filled by porters.

Local SDLP assembly member Annie Courtney said it would be "very sad" if tight security had to be put in place in the casualty waiting room.

"It is a hospital and not a prison. People do have to get in there for treatment, they have to get in maybe very fast.

"What you can do around security within a hospital is very minimal.

"I would not like to think that a time would come that you would have to unlock a hospital before getting in for treatment."