The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation is calling for restraint-trained security guards to be stationed at the Riverland General Hospital in Berri and the Murray Bridge Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital to protect nurses, doctors and patients.

Some recent problems in hospitals are linked to dementia patients, but Dabars said the number of violent incidents was “increasing exponentially” at hospitals across the state, “and the reality is that there are very, very serious concerns around drug and alcohol use”.

“The reality is there are shifts in our society that mean violence and aggression is more prevalent,” she said.

“A lot of businesses, not just health facilities, are putting in place security measures. Some of our members in one town in particular say ‘we know they have security officers down at the Centrelink office and it’s the same people causing problems in the hospital’.”

While Dabars said the federation would welcome more intervention programs to tackle the root cause of violent incidents across the state, “sadly” the immediate need was frontline safety initiatives like security guards.

“Some of the stories we’ve heard from our members are absolutely harrowing,” she said.

At the Murray Bridge Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, a nurse was assaulted with an oxygen cylinder while at the Riverland General Hospital in January, one patient’s family member threatened to stab staff and kicked glass doors.

ANMF chief executive officer Elizabeth Dabars. Photo: ANMF

Dabars’ concerns come as the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring report released by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission this week showed Adelaide has the highest use of methylamphetamine of the Australian capital cities.

This report found that Australians are the sixth largest consumers of illicit stimulants out of 28 countries monitored between March and May 2022, and that regional alcohol, nicotine, oxycodone, fentanyl and cannabis average consumption exceeded capital city consumption.

Its findings were based on wastewater testing at 57 treatment plants in capital cities and regional areas from December 2022 to February 2023.

“Despite large seizures of some illicit drugs by law enforcement, the average consumption of methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, MDA, fentanyl and ketamine has increased in both capital city and regional sites,” acting ACIC chief executive officer Matt Rippon said.

Sustained lobbying from the ANMF has led to Health Minister Chris Picton this week announcing security guards will be stationed at Port Pirie and Wallaroo hospitals 24/7 for six months to protect staff and patients.

A smashed door boarded up at Riverland General Hospital in Berri. Photo: ANMF

It comes after two violent incidents at Port Pirie last month that led to four nurses and three doctors being assaulted, according to the ANMF.

In February, a man was tasered in Wallaroo after smashing front glass doors using a security camera that he wrenched off a wall.

In terms of incidents in hospitals, SA Health figures show there have been 93 “code blacks” indicating a personal threat to staff up until April this year across regional hospitals and 219 overall last year, the highest numbers recorded. This compares to data in 2016 showing the figure was 57.

Data for metropolitan hospitals shows there were 11,174 code blacks in 2022 compared to 8227 in 2016.

Health Minister Chris Picton said it “is awful” that anyone would threaten or harm health care staff and “the sad reality is that drugs like ice often are precursors to these acts of violence”.

He said the State Government is opening 22 more drug rehabilitation beds across the city and regional areas and two dedicated drug and alcohol withdrawal beds at Mount Gambier Hospital specifically for medically managed treatment of alcohol and other drug withdrawal.

“Every year SA Health has to spend $40 million of taxpayers funds on security guards to help protect staff and patients,” Picton said.

“Of course, that’s $40 million that as Health Minister I would rather be spending on services – but the reality is we need to keep increasing what we spend on security.”

The government has also stationed 24/7 security guards in Mount Gambier and Port Lincoln hospitals since being elected.