Vol. 563 No. 4
471 Mr. Andrews asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the assertion that 18% of psychiatric nurses are assaulted in any one year; his further views on any national study carried out regarding this; and if he proposes to meet with the Psychiatric Nurses Association to discuss the establishment of a compensation or insurance scheme. [7980/03]
There is little doubt that society is becoming more violent and this fact is unfortunately reflected in the incidents of assaults on nurses in the workplace. My Department has funded a study by the North-Eastern Health Board to establish a programme on work related violence. One critical component of this programme is the provision of training to staff in the clinical skills and safe management of potential violence. A programme of training leading to an accredited national diploma in the management of actual or potential aggression is at an advanced stage of development.
Following discussions with the nursing unions, I established a task force in April 2002 to investigate the incidence of assaults on psychiatric nurses, with a view to exploring preventative measures to reduce the incidence of such assaults; and as a practical measure, where such assaults have resulted in serious physical or psychological injury, to provide for a compensation scheme for nurses working in the mental health services. Membership of the task force includes representatives of the relevant nursing unions, PNA and SIPTU, the Health Service Employers Agency, the Department of Health and Children and the Department of Finance. The task force was given the following terms of reference: to investigate the reasons for such assaults with a view to the putting in place of effective preventative measures; to examine the incidence of assaults on nurses and the level of injury therefrom; to put forward proposals for an appropriate compensation scheme for nurses injured through assault at work, such proposals to have regard to the special position of psychiatric nurses and to prepare and present a report of its findings and recommendations to the Minister for Health and Children.
The report of the task force is at an advanced stage of preparation and I would expect that the report will be available shortly.
