A man under police surveillance after allegedly slashing two hospital guards and injuring a nurse will be investigated for possible mental health and drug issues.
Police were called to Westmead Hospital in Sydney’s west about 11.30pm on Friday following reports of a man assaulting a member of staff.
A police spokesman said the 39-year-old man is suspected of slashing two male security guards, aged 24 and 25, causing lacerations.
“He wasn’t stabbed, he was just cut, there were no penetration wounds,” he said.
A 29-year-old male nurse was injured in the attack and a third guard suffered a dislocated shoulder.
The spokesman said four people suffered minor injuries but were treated at the scene and did not require hospitalisation, but “are all OK”.
The man was arrested and is being kept under observation in hospital – no charges have been filed and he will be questioned by police when he is released.
As police continue their investigation, they will look into the man’s mental health and drug history to see if they may have played a role in the attack.
Western Sydney Local Health Board, which runs Westmead Hospital, said affected staff were being offered ongoing support.
“There was no impact to other patients or patient care services,” the spokesman said.
“The safety of our staff, patients and visitors remains our number one priority.”
The “senseless violence” against hospital staff was appalling, NSW Health Service Union secretary Gerard Hayes said.
“For affected workers, the trauma will continue long after the physical wounds have healed,” he said.
“Over the past decade, there have been shootings, stabbings and mutilations of our members.”
The union said it would continue to campaign for more security guards and greater powers at hospitals, as well as improved personal protective equipment.
New South Wales Minister Joe Heylen said the incident was of serious concern and the government would continue to work to protect essential workers in the state’s hospitals.
“The safety of health workers, including hospital security guards, is naturally a top priority for the government and we are concerned about their welfare,” she told reporters on Saturday.
“It’s absolutely important that people are safe in the workplace.”
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