Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSPolice to patrol A&E over Christmas
Patients at a hospital in Durham will benefit from a heightened police presence over the Christmas in a bid to crack down on troublemakers.
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Two uniformed officers will patrol the accident and emergency department of the University Hospital of North Durham from 7pm on Friday until the early hours, and will also be on hand on New Year’s Eve.
New legislation under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act which came into force last month, addresses the problem of disorderly behaviour in NHS hospitals, including disruption to staff.
The law now gives police officers the power to remove a person “reasonably suspected of committing, or having committed, the offence in section 119 from the NHS premises concerned”.
Sergeant Colin Dobson said: “By developing closer links with the hospital we can provide an increased visible presence on the premises.
“Disorder will not be tolerated and officers will be using the new legislation which is designed to protect NHS staff.”
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Readers' comments (2)
Roger Hodgson | 28-Dec-2009 8:45 pm
The situation where alcohol or drug induced violence or just plain idiotic and aggressive behaviour towards NHS Staff should not be addressed just at Christmas or weekends. Violent behaviour is an ongoing situation almost every day of the year in our A&E Departments.
Our Judicial System has slipped into the mistaken belief that the offender has rights also.... I believe that idea is a load of old tosh.
The offender, by his actions has divorced himself from society and lost any rights he had in the process of doing so!
Monetary fines are no deterrent jail time only elevates the standing of these socially challenged lepers in the eyes of their cronies.
The law should be used to its utmost in punishing the mindless thugs who roam our streets. If the law in its present form is no deterrent then it should be changed and enforced until safety is restored into not only the NHS but the country as a whole. Because we are forgetting that many of the patients being seen in our A&E Departments are victims of vicious assaults anyway.
My thoughts will not go down well with those who believe sending thugs on Caribbean holidays as a means of repaying their debt to society but, the threat of corporal punishment seems to work very well in Singapore, where it is possible to work in an A&E without being assaulted by the very patient you are trying to treat.
Unsuitable or offensive?
Roger Hodgson | 28-Dec-2009 11:04 pm
The situation where alcohol or drug induced violence or just plain idiotic and aggressive behaviour towards NHS Staff should not be addressed just at Christmas or weekends. Violent behaviour is an ongoing situation almost every day of the year in our A&E Departments.
Our Judicial System has slipped into the mistaken belief that the offender has rights also.... I believe that idea is a load of old tosh.
The offender, by his actions has divorced himself from society and lost any rights he had in the process of doing so!
Monetary fines are no deterrent jail time only elevates the standing of these socially challenged lepers in the eyes of their cronies.
The law should be used to its utmost in punishing the mindless thugs who roam our streets. If the law in its present form is no deterrent then it should be changed and enforced until safety is restored into not only the NHS but the country as a whole. Because we are forgetting that many of the patients being seen in our A&E Departments are victims of vicious assaults anyway.
My thoughts will not go down well with those who believe sending thugs on Caribbean holidays as a means of repaying their debt to society but, the threat of corporal punishment seems to work very well in Singapore, where it is possible to work in an A&E without being assaulted by the very patient you are trying to treat.
Unsuitable or offensive?