The ACT government needs to urgently review security and nurse safety at Canberra's adult mental health unit because of increasing violence at the facility, the opposition says.
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Shadow mental health minister Giulia Jones will move a motion in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday calling for a review at the unit after it was revealed there had been a provisional improvement notice (requiring action be taken to remedy a situation) issued in July and a rise in reported incidents involving staff.
She wants the government to report back by November. She will also call for the provision of further reports in March and August next year.
As revealed by The Canberra Times, incidents involving physical contact increased from 49 in 2012-13 to 57 in 2013-14 while reports of "near misses" – where contact with a staff member was attempted but not made – rose from three to 13.
A provisional improvement notice relating to aggression and violence at the unit remains in place until next month.
Mrs Jones said permanent measures were needed to give nurses a safe working environment. She said the model of care at the unit also needed to be adapted to "serve the safety of both patients and staff".
"The facility is not being run well and staff are working under unacceptable conditions," she said.
"Where are we going to draw the line and say this is not good enough for nurses? If staffing isn't right or the model of care isn't right, then that really needs to be addressed – and quickly too."
