COULTER URGES SECURITY TEAMS FOR ALL HOSPITALS
Rev Dr Robert Coulter, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member for North Antrim and UUP Stormont Commissioner, has said security teams must be introduced into all hospitals where nurses and doctors from the constituency work.
Assemblyman Dr Coulter made his call as he welcomed the announcement from fellow UUP MLA and Health Minister Michael McGimpsey that a security team was being introduced into Coleraine’s Causeway Hospital because of recent attacks on medical staff.
Dr Coulter has been to the fore in pushing for hard-hitting legislation to be passed by the Assembly calling for very stiff penalties for people convicted in the courts of attacking doctors, nurses and other medical staff.
He added: “While I warmly welcome Minister McGimpsey’s announcement of a security team for the Causeway Hospital, it is also a sad indictment on today’s society that we have to introduce such measures to protect medical staff in the first place.
“However, we must show zero tolerance towards the yob culture in our society and those who perpetrate such heinous attacks on medical staff must be left in no doubt that if convicted by the courts, they will face exceptionally tough sentences.
“Attacks on medical staff, whether that be a nurse in an Accident and Emergency unit, or a doctor on call are totally unacceptable.
“People from North Antrim who work in the frontline of medical care and Accident and Emergency need to be assured of their personal safety when they are on duty.
“Likewise, responsible visitors and patients at Accident and Emergency units as well as to medical centres also need to feel safe in those environments from the thugs or yobs.
“The introduction of these highly trained security teams is only the first step in implementing this zero tolerance towards the yob culture.
“Ultimately, I want to see legislation introduced in the Assembly whereby it will be a severe criminal offence for anyone convicted by the courts of attacking not just nurses, doctors and other medical staff, but also paramedics and ambulance staff as well as members of the Fire Service doing their duties.
“Minister McGimpsey has clearly demonstrated that the time for tough rhetoric is over and now is the time for constructive action against these unacceptable attacks on our medical staff,” said Assemblyman Dr Coulter.