Lorne Community Hospital will benefit from additional safety measures to reduce and prevent violence through the second round of the Andrews Labor Government’s $20 million Health Service Violence Prevention Fund.
Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney announced that Lorne Community Hospital had secured $3400 from the $20 million Health Service Violence Prevention Fund.
Hospitals and mental health services across the state will see significant safety and security upgrades, including additional CCTV, more personal duress devices and alarms, and new infrastructure such as security doors, windows and restricted access areas.
Ms Tierney said the Lorne Community Hospital will receive the funding to install wearable duress alarms to reduce the vulnerability of the nursing staff, particularly after hours when there is limited staff support.
These projects build on the success of the first round of funding and continue to deliver on the Labor Government’s election promise to reduce violence at hospitals and mental health services by improving facilities and making them safer for staff, patients and visitors.
The Victorian Auditor-General’s Report into Occupational Health Violence Against Healthcare Workers found nurses, doctors, paramedics and other healthcare workers face particular risks because “they are at the frontline when it comes to dealing with people in stressful, unpredictable and potentially volatile situations.”
The Government is also funding a new public awareness campaign to reduce violence in Victorian hospitals as part of our plan to stop attacks against frontline health and mental health workers.
Quotes attributable to Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney
“Lorne Community Hospital workers and their patients will now be safer and more secure thanks to this funding.”
“We have an incredibly dedicated health and mental health workforce who deserve to feel safe and protected in the important work that they do.”
“I have zero tolerance for violence or aggression of any kind against our hardworking doctors, nurses and paramedics.”