Staff at Shellharbour Hospital fear for their safety and the safety of others while caring for some of the most volatile and mentally unwell patients.
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Staff shortages at Eloura, a lack of support from management, and positions being filled by people not properly trained was making the high-care area dangerous, they claim.
There have been at least six serious assaults on staff by patients since December, the Mercury understands. Staff who want to remain anonymous say those who have raised safety concerns have been targeted and find themselves the subject of internal investigations.
We often have inexperienced people sent up to high care to fill gaps and basically it makes things very unsafe.
The Local Health District refutes the claims (See story below).
The six-bed unit houses the most in-need patients, including people who have been ordered by a magistrate to undergo a mental health assessment.
"Inexperienced junior mental health nurses not experienced in dealing with aggression are forced to rotate through the high-care unit; they are not ready for that environment," one veteran nurse said.
"With not enough staff, the dangers are real. Anyone who raises concerns with WorkSafe or the unions seems to be targeted to the point you are placed under investigation," another said.
Issues that come under investigation include the restraining of volatile patients.
"We don't want to restrain patients, it's a last resort, " a nurse said. "But when we have tried every other avenue, that's the only option we have ... a lot of patients are drug induced and people from courts ... so we find ourselves in dangerous situations," the staff member said.
"We get no support, the next thing there's an external investigation. We are supposed to have five staff members to restrain someone for example, but that is not practical when we find ourselves in a dangerous situation and in an instant, have to react."
Another said: "It's getting to the point where we don't want to come to work because we are scared for our own safety, or the safety of other patients."
"We often have inexperienced people sent up to high care to fill gaps and basically it makes things very unsafe."
Many of the staff members have contacted SafeWork NSW to air their concerns. They sent a letter to the Mercury titled "Help".
The letter said the unit had become dangerous and "urgent action is critical to instill professional management, systems and procedures".
A SafeWork NSW spokesperson said "SafeWork NSW is aware of ongoing issues at Shellharbour Hospital, and seeks to address them as they are raised with us".
The Mercury recently revealed there were five fewer beds available in the acute mental health unit due to staff shortages.
Bosses defend safety complaint handling
Claims that staff within Shellharbour Hospital's mental health service are targeted with internal investigations for raising work health safety concerns are categorically false, said Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Director Mental Health Julie Carter.
"Any concerns raised by staff regarding workplace safety are thoroughly investigated as per NSW Health policy," Ms Carter said. "The Local Health District must also investigate any claims of unsatisfactory staff performance or inappropriate workplace behaviour."
Ms Carter said the District has in place "robust and equitable" procedures to thoroughly investigate and manage any such allegations. "Due to privacy reasons we are unable to comment on any individual investigations".
"We are proud of our staff for improving the standard of care and holding themselves and others to account to ensure we continue to provide a high standard of care."
She said claims that the Mental Health Service is using nurses who are not trained in mental health are also false. "Staff working in mental health receive specialist training and support, including Violence Prevention Management Training."
To date, more than 80 per cent of staff have completed the Violence Prevention Management Training with the remainder to complete in coming weeks.
"There are ongoing staff shortages within the Mental Health Service, which is why we have taken action to ensure the safety of both staff and consumers by temporarily reducing the bed capacity of the unit."
The care of mental health consumers is undertaken by a team including psychiatry, nursing, allied health such as social work, and overseen by the Medical Director who is a psychiatrist.