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THE IRISH NURSES and Midwives Organisation has called for a full security audit of all hospitals following a fatal attack of an elderly patient in Cork yesterday.
Matthew Healy, an 89-year-old widower from Berrings in Cork, was killed in an attack at Mercy University Hospital shortly after 5.30am yesterday morning.
It is understood that the attack was carried out by another patient in the ward, with staff members intervening in an attempt to halt the attack.
A man, aged in his 30s, was arrested at the scene by Gardaí, with the assistance of the Armed Support Unit and remains detained for questioning.
Speaking today, INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said there hasn’t been a review of security systems and protocols of hospitals since 2016 and urged for one to be conducted.
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the families at the centre of yesterday morning’s tragic incident in Mercy University Hospital.
“We have been offering our union’s full support members in the Mercy and will continue to do so.
“In light of this awful incident, the INMO is once again repeating our call for a full review and audit of security systems and protocols in Irish hospitals.
Ní Sheaghdha added: “We haven’t had a security audit of our hospitals since 2016, it is time now for the HSE to complete a full audit of what measures are in place in each hospital.”
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The Mercy has been overwhelmed for a very long time now, this was inevitable. There have been documented accounts of fights at the front door and violence inside the A&E. Overcrowding in the A&E and lack of beds is only going to escalate tensions and potential conflict. A review now is insulting a very much too little too late. I feel sorry for the staff having to deal with this, it’s very much not an isolated incident. Management, the HSE and the minister need a proper response to this, not a short term fix. RIP to Mr Healy and sympathies to his family, horrendous news.
Typiclal Union attempting to score points. Show some respect ffs
@SquideyeMagpie: The INMO has highlighted this issue well before this incident. There has been 33000 assaults on nurses in the last 7 years.
@Maria: Sick society.
It saddens me that this type of violence has crossed over into our Hospitals and the safety of those nurses and doctors is further put at risk. We all know this has been a long time coming, from drunks overcrowding A&E’s to drug addicts to mental health issues. But yet the priority by the I.N.M.O. and Phil Ní Sheaghdha is solely pay ( I totally get and support the pay issue), whereas the priority should surely be about safe working conditions and safety for patients. Are issues like safety, recruitment, i.e. more staff, agencies and the training and keeping of more nurses. Are safety conditions not more worthy of strike action than pay. It is not that the H.S.E. and I.N.M.O. etc don’t know what the problems are, it is that they don’t want to be bothered by trying to find a solution. E.G. Last week the HSE paid out E31m in compensation in a birth case, which has been an ongoing issue for years but it keeps on happening, that money and the excessive amounts paid to recruitment agencies could be pumped back into Health. Two weeks ago
Perhaps Minister Neale Richmond could do what Damien English failed to do and challenge the injunction Top Security have opposing the ERO for security workers who are stuck on €11.65/h since 2019
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