12 May 2026
Happy International Nursing Day.
At Healthcare Security and Risk, we think that appreciation to our Healthcare staff should not be restricted to one day a year. It also includes support to those behind the scene’s such as in the kitchens, cleaning and security.
Enjoy your day, and those not on our healthcare frontlines – show appreciation for the life saving support we are so lucky to have.
9 Apr 2026
An assault by a visitor on a patient at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (NSW) has left a man fighting for life after his niece allegedly smuggled in a hammer and attacked him.
Protection of staff, patients and visitors is a responsibility of a health service for those within their care. This situation is extremely difficult to pre-empt and defend against, however security team and ward staff training can impact the likelihood of occurrence and speed of response which can mitigate the impact or outcome.
Woman charged over hammer attack on man in bed at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital | 7NEWS
10 Apr 2025
An investigation into the sexual assault of a Townsville University Hospital nurse has found some clinical staff view unsafe patient behaviours as “just part of the job”. When the nurse was assaulted by a patient, who was known for “verbal and physical aggression”, there was no clear procedure for staff to follow. The investigation was launched in August 2024 after the nurse was sexually assaulted on the ward. The patient was allowed to remain on the ward and was not moved until they allegedly assaulted the family member of another patient.
Health, Safety, and Wellbeing of workers, patients and visitors is mandated within a workplace under the WHS Act 2011 (Qld). Healthcare Security and Risk can provide expert advise with identifying at risk behaviours and offer opportunities to ensure staff, patient and visitor safety. These situations are highly complex and require a multifaceted approach to provide timely, workable and effective solutions.
Townsville health service changes incident response policy after nurse assaulted – ABC News
28 March 2025
A former NDIS worker who “masqueraded” as a nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) has avoided jail
After impersonating a nurse on 13 different occasions between April 12 and June 12, 2023.
Last week, he pleaded guilty to nine offences including assault, serious criminal trespass and dishonestly taking property without consent, and assault related to a patient.
It is vital for Hospital and Health Services, public or private to ensure that appropriate and adequate staff screening and security vetting systems are in place to mitigate this type of incident. Unqualified and unauthorised persons are a constant risk and hazard to facilities and pose a direct risk both clinically and ethically to a facilities business continuity.
Healthcare Security and Risk identifies that ongoing personal vetting and security screening pose a direct and immediate risk to organisations that do not implement robust governance and compliance systems utilising key points within AS 4485:2021 – Security in Healthcare facilities, and Australian Health Facility Guidelines.
Nurse impersonator Brandon Chesney, who assaulted patient, avoids jail – ABC News
28 Apr 2025 – News article published by Cairns Post
A Papua New Guinean national who required medical treatment in Cairns was under guard at a hotel and escaped from Australian Border Force custody in Far North Queensland. This resulted in a manhunt by Queensland Police Service within the community that did not locate or recover the Foreign National.
Papua New Guinean nationals are permitted to enter the Protected Zone located between the Torres Straits and Papua New Guinea, as permitted under the Australian Treaty Series 1985 No 4 – Treaty between Australia and Papua New Guinea. However, the Treaty does not permit unrestricted travel outside of this area.
Multiple Queensland and Commonwealth Government agencies are involved in managing a person transferred between locations for health and medical reasons. This specific incident, and the wider topic is multi-faceted in nature involving multiple Hospital and Health Services, Queensland Police Service, and Australian Border Force with immediate safety implications for the wider community. The immediate risk to local community covers healthcare facility security, community safety, and the potential of exposure from environmental/bio security concerns.
The Position Statement by AMA, identities that the importance of implementing safe systems of work in preventing harm caused by physical and psychosocial violence within the workplace.
By implementing a layered approach to mitigate hazard and risk with robust risk management systems with an understanding of the physical environment, workplace culture, and the implications to patients and staff when a serious incident occurs.
Healthcare Security and safety management system effectiveness relies on workers regardless of being administrative or clinical, to be actively involved in adopting a zero tolerance to violence with healthcare facilities incorporating awareness and de-escalation training.
It further adds the ongoing need for monitoring and evaluation of processes to assess Healthcare Security and Risk effectiveness and risk prevention strategies at both General and Private practices.
31 March 2024
Violent Assault compensation claim
Training and instruction
The court found that the plaintiff, as a nurse in a challenging ward, should have been trained not to participate in the physical restraint of a patient. The responsibility of restraint should have been left entirely to security officers; where a Code Black should have been called so that more security officers could be present. According to the defendant’s procedures, the role of the nurse should have been merely to “reassure the patient restrained and to administer medication to them.”
Assessment of violence risk
The hospital did not complete the mandated OVRATs (Occupational Violence Risk Assessment Tool), which would have provided a clear evaluation of the risk of violence in the ward.
Breach of duty, causation and court’s judgement
The court concluded that the defendant breached its duty of care to the plaintiff by not taking reasonably practicable precautions. Had the plaintiff not been involved in the physical restraint of M, it is probable she would not have been injured. In the end, the court made a judgment in favour of the plaintiff nurse, finding that the defendant was liable for the injuries sustained as a result of the negligence, and ordered the defendant to pay $1,634,418.55 in personal injury compensation.
Nurse awarded $1.6m after being injured avoiding a thrashing patient – ABC News
News GP
Concerns raised by medical staff and GP’s that violence against healthcare workers is becoming more frequent and severe.
The article identifies violence against healthcare workers is increasing and at times resulting in fatality of staff. Safe working environments are identified with staff requiring Healthcare Security systems such as duress alarms and more functional layout by design is identified.
Healthcare Security and Risk assessment and inspections can assist in identifying hazards and offering effective controls to mitigate the risk being envisaged. This will proactively support staff and patients in maintaining a safe place of work and a safe place of care.
Nov 2024
The AMA media release focused on the Government and Hospitals to introduce measures supporting Doctors against an increase of workplace violence (occupational violence).
The article provides detail of medical staff who are attacked suffer physical injuries, serious harm and death, psychological impacts of increased stress, sleep disturbances, moral injury, anxiety, anger, decreased job dissatisfaction, more leave days, presenteeism, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The article calls on Government and Hospitals to lead change and implementation of risk management systems to reduce impact and instances of workplace violence, investment in reporting, monitoring and evaluation of risk prevention and management strategies, across the healthcare security and risk management systems.