Ms Phil N? Sheaghdha:

In general terms, there is a percentage of alcohol and narcotic abuse but the bigger issue, certainly since 2017, is the longer waiting times and the frustration that comes with waiting for care. As some of my colleagues have said, patients leave emergency departments because they get so frustrated, but some stay and they get very aggressive towards the staff they meet. For patients who are admitted, we have had unfortunate examples and we can give many examples where alcohol and detox situations occur. However, when we have the correct staffing levels and the correct security, that is lessened. We do not have that. We still have a big problem with security companies and agency staff and with security being outsourced by various hospitals. We have to get back to the mentality that security is that hospital’s responsibility and the security staff must be a core part of the staff, and must be placed and available in the emergency department. Sometimes, people are looking for security personnel but they have responsibility for the whole campus, not just one department.

Our focus today is on trying to explain to the committee what it is like. Ms Chambers gave an example of 30 people leaving the department. We are talking predominantly about women who go to work. We have Ireland signing up to the Istanbul convention in respect of violence against women and every single day there are ten or 11 assaults against nurses. That is just for nurses. My colleagues will give the committee examples of the people they represent, but it is predominantly women. It is not good enough.