Police Could Patrol Maelor A&E Department
This article is old - Published: Monday, Aug 8th, 2011
Wrexham Maelor Hospital's A&E Department could soon be patrolled by police officers to reduce violent incidents following a successful pilot scheme at Ysbyty Gwynedd.
Police patrols could be introduced to Wrexham’s Maelor Hospital according to reports in The Daily Post today.
The measure is being considered following a successful experiment at Ysbyty Gwynedd and could see CCTV cameras and voice recorders installed at the Maelor.
A number of possibilities are to be explored after Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was told that violent incidents in the region’s hospital were down on last year’s total of 2,140 to 1,529.
The results are broken down into 854 in the mental health sector, 473 in acute and general sectors and 144 in the community sector and 58 in A&E. 643 incidents were classed as aggression with 331 as verbal abuse.
Five of the incidents were reported to the Health and Safety Executive as they resulted in staff members taking at least three days off due to violence.
Now the local health board is holding discussions with North Wales Police over providing a police presence at the Maelor’s A&E department following the successful pilot scheme at Ysbyty Gwynedd.
CCTV cameras and voice recorders were also used to aid staff in dealing with incidents.
A&E Departments are often over burdened with patients who have consumed too much alcohol on traditionally busy nights in town such as Saturday’s which can lead to an increased risk of violence.
Over the weekend Wrexham.com encountered a number of tweets reporting alcohol related violence in Wrexham town centre and such reports are fairly common place on most weekends.
Health board officials have said that they hope the measures will reduce the number of incidents of violence and aggression which take place in hospitals.
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