The pledge comes after figures revealed a nearly 50 per cent rise in assaults at Hunter hospitals, including a jump from three to seven assaults at Maitland Hospital in the year to June.  Ms Aitchison said she was concerned by the figures at Maitland Hospital which “had more than doubled in the last year”.

“This is not an acceptable risk for health workers, nor patients and carers,” she said. 

“Labor has listened to health workers in our hospital and are working hard to keep everyone in our hospitals safe.

“I congratulate Gerard Hayes and the HSU for their campaign to keep everyone in our hospitals safe.”

This week, NSW Labor Leader Luke Foley committed to an additional 250 security staff as part of a plan to boost security at NSW hospitals to protect staff, patients and families.

It comes after new figures reveal there were 36 assaults on staff, patients and families at Hunter hospitals in the year to June. 

In the 12 months prior, there were 20 assaults in hospitals across the Hunter.

Ms Aitchison said the safety of health workers was a priority.

“Having spent a couple of nights in an emergency department in a Sydney Public Hospital recently, I know how frightening it is when a duress alarm goes off in the middle of the night,” she said.

“We need to ensure our health workers are safe and that those whose job it is to address hospital security are empowered and resourced to take the right action.”

There had been seven assaults at Maitland Hospital in the year to June in 2018.

Labor’s four-point plan includes employing an additional 250 health security staff in its first term; upgrading hospital security officers to ‘health security staff’ with additional powers similar to special constables who can carry weapons such as pepper spray and batons; providing extra training and creating specialist secure hospitals unit.

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