When Care Meets Conflict: Violence in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Emergency Departments summarises a snapshot survey investigating the prevalence and impact of violence in emergency departments (EDs) which was sent to the Directors of Emergency Medicine (DEMs) at the 20 ACEM-accredited EDs across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The report showed that:
- the prevalence of ED violence is unacceptably high
- violent incidents are under-reported
- access to appropriately trained hospital security officers is highly varied
- systemic issues are the main causative factors of violence.
This report confirms that one year after the Government’s 2024 Budget investment to place 24/7 security staff in ‘high risk’ EDs, progress has stalled and there has been no additional expansion of services or support. It is time to restart the national conversation about violence in EDs, with urgent and coordinated action needed to ensure the safety of staff, patients and whānau.