THE Labor Party will double penalties for assaulting nurses, doctors and health care professionals if they are re-elected this weekend.
The State Government has announced plans to reform the Crimes Act so that any person who assaults a health care professional while they are working will face double the maximum penalty applicable to a general assault.
“We want to protect the frontline nurses, doctors and health care professionals who care for our community,” Premier John Brumby said.
“We want to send a strong message to the community that our nurses, our doctors, our health care professionals must be protected.”
The announcement comes seven months after Western Health joined forces with Footscray Police in a Department of Health funded pilot program to ensure all attacks against staff are reported.
Hospital staff at Footscray’s Western Hospital, the Sunshine Hospital and Williamstown Hospital suffered over 120 “code grey” incidents between July and September 2009, including 53 in the month of August.
Two “code blacks”, one including a 14-year-old girl, were also documented.
Code greys are emergencies called for aggressive or violent behaviour from a patient or visitor and code blacks are called for potential aggression involving a weapon.
But the bulk of threats and attacks against hospital staff had gone unreported. The hospitals have been given occupational violence incident packs that contain all the documentation needed for an employee to report an attack.
Western Health CEO Kathryn Cook said she would welcome any initiative that improves the safety and welfare of hospital staff.
