11 April 2023
The ANMF (SA Branch) is working to end violence and aggression through the ongoing implementation of its 10 point plan to best meet the differing needs of each Local Health Network (LHN).
The 10 Point Plan to End Violence and Aggression was last year endorsed by the State Government, following strong advocacy from the ANMF (SA Branch), with a working group created in partnership with the Department for Health and Wellbeing and other unions to drive its implementation across all SA Health services.
LHNs have now used a gap analysis tool to identify what aspects of the plan they still need to apply and while several concerns have been addressed, there is still work to be done in a range of areas.
For example, for some LHNs this means improving workplace design or providing education and training to workers, while others require 24/7 restraint-trained security guards.
“All health workers are entitled to a safe workplace where any incident of violence or aggression is taken seriously by management and executives,” said ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary Adj Assoc Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM.
“We are working to ensure that action is taken to implement the 10 Point Plan in a way that makes sense for each individual LHN.”
Currently, the Department of Health and Wellbeing is collating all data from the gap analysis to report to the Minister for Health Chris Picton.
The report will outline the actions of each LHN and what their health services have in place to address the 10-Point Plan, as well as highlighting the next steps required to support full implementation, to improve safety and security for staff, patients, and visitors.
“We know that the issues of workplace violence and aggression are multifaceted and complex, which is why we are working to ensure that the 10-Point Plan is implemented appropriately across sites,” said Ms Dabars.