Vol. 457 No. 4
46 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Health the proposals, if any, he has for the introduction of a hospital workers' charter in view of the increasing number of attacks on health workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15488/95]
Limerick East): I have no proposals to introduce a hospital workers' charter. I am, however, aware of the need to offer adequate safeguards against physical violence to staff working in the health service. This need is addressed through a variety of measures being taken to give effect to the obligations placed on health agencies under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989. To this end, all health service employers have been advised of their obligations under legislation and have been circulated with the “Report of the Advisory Committee on the Health Services Sector to the Health and Safety Authority” and “Guidance Notes on Violence to Staff in the Health Services Sector” published by the Health and Safety Authority.
This commitment to staff safety has been supported through the allocation of earmarked funds for health and safety measures in recent years. In the current year, the Department has allocated a total of £2.8 million to health agencies to specifically address occupational health and safety issues. All agencies were asked, in this context, to attach particular priority to addressing aggressive or violent behaviour towards health service staff. This funding has been used, inter alia, to fund control and restraint training, improved security systems and panic-alarms systems for those individuals considered most at risk, including those working in accident and emergency units, working with psychiatric patients and working in the community. I would hope to continue to make progress on this front in 1996. In addition to this, schemes covering payments during absences from work arising from serious physical assaults have been agreed for relevant grades in the health boards, public voluntary hospitals and joint board hospitals. I am satisfied that the measures currently in place, and planned, offer a satisfactory framework to ensure for staff in the health services a safe and healthy working environment.
