00:02It was approaching midnight on a Sunday last month inside the emergency department at Brisbane's
00:08Princess Alexandra Hospital when an older woman was allegedly bashed by a fellow patient.
00:15A police spokesperson says a 43-year-old New Farm man allegedly punched a 73-year-old woman's
00:22face a number of times in an unprovoked attack. The woman sustained serious facial injuries during
00:29the incident. Medical staff intervened. The man was arrested and charged with grievous bodily harm.
00:36He's due in court next week. A hospital spokesperson said support was provided to the patient
00:42and staff who witnessed the incident. The safety of our staff, patients and visitors is our number
00:49one priority and Metro South Health has invested more than $37 million to increase the number of
00:57security officers, implement additional CCTV and body-worn cameras and more. The college
01:04representing emergency doctors says violence in hospitals is hugely significant and underreported.
01:11Whenever somebody gets punched on an aeroplane, it makes national news. Whenever someone gets
01:17punched in an emergency department, it's Friday. A national survey of ED directors found 90%
01:23had a violent incident in their unit within the past week. We want a razor sharp focus
01:29on overcrowding. That's going to have the biggest impact. It's a crisis point. Nurses want a better
01:36reporting system and more funding for a de-escalation security program. Creating workplaces where nurses,
01:42midwives and carers feel safe is not only a right, it's a legal obligation. The bashing victim
01:47has since been discharged from hospital.
