THE Health Services Union has seized on Saturday’s drama at Bathurst Base Hospital to call for security reform.
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Newly elected HSU secretary Gerard Hayes travelled to Bathurst yesterday to meet with staff affected by the alleged knife attack on Saturday night.
Mr Hayes, a former paramedic, said the incident highlighted the need for security reform in all the state’s hospitals.
He said staff at Bathurst Base Hospital handled a very difficult situation extremely well.
However, with staff dividing their time between security and cleaning, Mr Hayes said the HSU believes it’s time to make a change.
“The HSU wants to look at Bathurst Hospital in terms of security,” he said. “We need to ensure there is a full-time security commitment.
“At the moment they are split between cleaning and security.
“We want to make sure they are on the spot so they can respond in the most appropriate way.”
The union will now write to the Local Health District to highlight its interest in this matter.
Mr Hayes said a way needs to be found that is good for the security of both staff and patients at the hospital.
“Staff involved did a fantastic job,” he said.
“They showed commitment to the hospital and to the community and we are very proud of them.
“These sorts of things are not predictable.
“We need to ensure the best possible security is available across the state.”
Mr Hayes said it was important to make sure there was consistency in the approach to security across NSW so staff were well-trained and well-educated to deal with incidents like the one that occurred at Bathurst Base Hospital on Saturday.