Health Minister says there’s ‘no justification’ for assaults on A&E staff as long waits and overcrowding cause tensions

Stark figures put forward by the union showed that an average of around 11 nurses or midwives were being assaulted every day, usually in Emergency Departments across the country where patients facing long waits for treatment and overcrowding.

The members suggested that these frustrations felt by patients are often a significant contributory factor to violent outbursts, which all too often result in nurses and other hospital staff members being injured or verbally abused.

While acknowledging the point as she arrived to give the key note speech at the conference, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said that there was “absolutely no justification” for any assaults on healthcare workers, regardless of the situation in any given Emergency Department or hospital.

“There’s absolutely no reason to assault anyone, but particularly a healthcare worker and particularly somebody who is working to support the public,” the Minister said. “I take it very seriously what nurses and midwives are saying here today.

“I would acknowledge all of the people who go to Emergency Departments and hospitals in very stressful circumstances and it wouldn’t even have occurred to them to assault somebody.

“But we have to be very careful about providing explanations or justifications of any kind for any assault. The situation can be very different in different hospitals. Some are much more overcrowded than we would want them to be. We’re trying to increase capacity and change work practices to make it a better environment for everybody – patients and healthcare workers alike. Everybody deserves a safe, comfortable place to get treatment.”

However, Minister Carroll MacNeill once again stressed that assaults on healthcare workers were indefensible and would not be tolerated.

“I provide absolutely no justification for any member of the public, in any context, to commit an assault on any healthcare worker.”

Given the diverse background of nurses, doctors and other hospital staff, the Minister was also concerned to hear reports that there was a racial element to some of these attacks.

“I’m particularly troubled when I hear reports back, anecdotal or otherwise, that there’s any racial element to it as well,” she said. “I just want to be extremely clear that there is no justification for that, whether it’s a healthcare worker or a member of An Garda Síochána or anybody else. There’s absolutely no justification for it.”

Addressing the members on the subject in her speech, the Minister said: “I am so distressed to hear the stories of people who have experienced assault of any kind in our healthcare system. I just want to say very, very clearly that it is absolutely unacceptable that any person in Ireland would experience a threat to them in any place, but in particular in their workplace where they are delivering a service in a kind and committed way to the people in Ireland. We need simply a no tolerance approach to that and I very much stand with you on that.

“You so often see the impacts of violence in different ways in your job and it is simply unacceptable, regardless of race, location, gender, or any other thing.”

In the year from February 2024 to 2025, 3,757 nurses and midwives were assaulted. The union states it works out at over 11 people per day who have been verbally, physically or sexually assaulted in work.

At the conference, members called for the implementation of compensatory payment for nurses and midwives required to work in unsafe conditions, while another motion called on the HSE to introduce “appropriate security measures, including an increased security presence, along with the establishment of a clear and supportive reporting system that will encourage nurses/midwives to report all forms of abuse in the workplace.”