John MacDonald: Unsafe health workers need more than a band-aid

Let’s call it and say that workers going to and from Christchurch Hospital at night-time deserve better. 

This is after what’s being described as a “very violent” assault on a staff member heading home after work last weekend. It’s understood the woman had been on a shift at the birthing centre, on Antigua Street. 

What we know at this point is that security around the hospital’s birthing unit has been bolstered and, as a temporary measure, security escorts are being provided for staff, student nurses, and midwives during the hours of darkness. 

The thing is though, should this extra security be a permanent arrangement for hospital staff? And if it’s needed at the hospital, what about other workers going to and from work at night and first thing in the morning? 

And this is where I’m feeling a bit torn. Because, yes, of course nurses and everyone at the hospital need to be safe. And yes, I think these extra measures do need to be permanent. So I’m on the side of the hospital staff here. 

And if there’s anything people like midwives and nurses get, it’s a lot of support from the public. Especially when things like this happens – and rightly so. 

Also, because safety has been a real concern with staff having to park far away from the hospital campus. 

I always remember the call we had from a nurse a couple of years ago, and how she told us she always carried a pair of scissors in her pocket when she walked to her car at night, because she was so worried about her safety. 

So Health NZ has told staff in an email that an incident happened last weekend and explained what it’s doing to keep people safe, saying that safety is its top priority. 

The email says: “Additional security measures have been put in place after a serious assault last weekend. Our security team has, as a temporary response, bolstered security in the area around this part of the hospital. This will be a priority over the coming days to provide an extra layer of security.” 

And the bolstering of security that they talk about are the security escorts being provided for staff, student nurses, and midwives during the hours of darkness, and mobile patrols being focussed on shift changes when people are coming and going. 

But there are plenty of other people doings jobs where they have to turn up and leave at odd hours – late at night, the middle of the night and first thing in the morning. And they have to run the gauntlet in the dark. 

But here’s where I land. I think that, when it comes down to it, not every worker can expect to have extra security put on. But when it comes to nurses and midwives here in Christchurch, they should. 

Don't ask me for a thorough explanation of why I feel that way because I know that, in some ways, it doesn’t make sense. But that’s where I’m at. 

Reading between the lines, I think the email that went around health staff indicates that these extra security escorts are going to be nothing more than temporary. Because it included all the usual stuff about the incident being a timely reminder for hospital staff to look after themselves and others. 

The emails says: “Ensuring your personal safety when leaving or arriving at the hospital involves a mix of situational awareness, planning and taking precautions. 

“Whether within one of our campuses or travelling to and from work, please be always conscious of your security and take appropriate actions to protect yourself and your property. Taking these precautions can help minimise risks and ensure your personal safety.” 

So a bit of health and safety backside covering, but medical staff deserve better than that. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's just come out this morning, let's just straight away
and call it as it is, and so that workers
going to and from christ Church Hospital at nighttime deserve better,
They deserve way better. Nurses, midwives, a whole lot of them,
the whole she bang. This is after what's been described
as a quote very violent assault on a staff member

(00:33):
heading home after work last weekend. It's understood that the
woman had been on the shift the birthing center on
Antigue Wi Street. This is the one that opened in
April April last year, so relatively new health Enzed is
expected to comment today. They weren't saying anything about it
last night. But what we know at this point is

(00:56):
that security around the hospital's birthing unit has been bolstered
and as a temporary measure anyway, security escorts are being
provided for staff, student nurses and midwives. This is during
the hours of darkness. The thing is, though, should this
extra security be a permanent arrangement for hospital staff and

(01:19):
if it's needed at the hospital, what about other workers
going to them from work at night? And the first
thing in the morning. And this is where I'm feeling
a bit torn because yes, of course nurses and everybody
at the hospital need to be safe, and yes, I
think these extra measures do need to be permanent. So

(01:41):
I'm on the side of the hospital staff here. And
if there's anything like midwives and nurses, they get a
lot of support or not. If there's anything about midwives
and nurses, they get a lot of support from the
public when things like this happen, and rightly so, and
they get a lot of support, especially in christ Church,

(02:01):
because safety has been a real concern, hasn't it, with
staff having to pat far away from the hospital campus.
You might remember this, but I always have remembered it.
We had a call from a nurse it would have
been a couple of years ago, I think it was,
and she told us she always carried a pair of
scissors in her pocket when she walked to her car

(02:21):
at night because she was so worried about her safety.
And she wasn't unusual. She said many of her colleagues
were like that. Jess tells me that particular woman she's
in Australia now working as a nurse. What quite a
few of our nurses are so Health New Zealand as
to say, they're expected to say something about this incident today,

(02:42):
but they've told staff in an email that it happened
last weekend and they explained what it's doing to keep
people safe, saying that safety is its top priority. So
he has a little bit of the email that went
to staff. It says, quote, additional security measures have been
put in place after a serious assault last weekend. Our
security team has as a temporary response, bolstered security in

(03:05):
the area around the part of the hospital as part
of the hospital. This will be a priority over the
coming days to provide an extra layer of security. And
that bolstering of security they talk about there, that's the
escorts being provided for staff, student nurses and midwives at
nighttime when it's dark. Also mobile patrols being focused on
times when there are shift changes going on people coming

(03:28):
and going from the hospital. But there are plenty of
other jobs, aren't there. There are plenty of other people
doing jobs where they have to turn up and leave
at odd hours as well, late at night, middle of
the night, first thing in the morning, and they have
to run the gauntlet and the dark. I remember where
our offices used to be in Middleton in christ Church

(03:51):
industrial area didn't feel like the safest place to be
before sunrise. And Jess and I we're always talking about
some of the odd balls we see around our new
headquarters in town first thing in the morning as well.
But here's where our land, when I said I'm torn,
is where I land. I think that when it comes
down to it, not every worker can expect to have

(04:12):
extra security put on if they're arriving at nighttime or
in the morning, but when it comes to nurses and
midwives here in christ Church, they should. And don't ask
me for a thorough explanation of why I feel that way,
because I know that in some ways that makes absolutely
no sense. But that's where I'm at, and reading between
the lines, I think the email that went around to

(04:33):
health staff yesterday, I think was indicates that these extra
security escorts they are going to be nothing more than temporary.
Because the email included all the usual stuff about the
incident being a timey reminder of the hospital staff to
look after themselves and others ensure your personal safety when
leaving or arriving, blah blah blah blah blah. Taking these
precautions can help minimize risks and ensure your personal safety.

(04:56):
What is that health and safety backside covering, That's what
it is.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
For more from Canterbory Mornings with John McDonald. Listen live
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