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"Concern for staff"

About: Broome Health Campus / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

I want to start by saying that the care I received at Broome Hospital was amazing. All of the nurses and staff I encountered were kind, professional, and went above and beyond during my stay. However, I feel compelled to raise a serious concern about staff safety.

During a recent visit to the emergency department, I witnessed several aggressive and abusive incidents directed at both nursing staff and doctors. It was confronting to see healthcare workers being treated this way while trying to provide care.

Later, I spoke with some nurses about their experiences with aggression. Some shared that they often feel unsafe, and alarmingly, the hospital has not provided personal duress alarms — despite these being promised to staff as far back as two years ago.

I felt compelled to share this because everyone deserves to feel safe at work, especially those dedicating their lives to caring for others. It’s deeply concerning that it seems abuse is happening daily, and I believe this is a serious issue that needs urgent action. I feel that personal duress alarms are a basic safety measure and should be a standard, not a promise still waiting to be fulfilled. 

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Responses

Response from James Sherriff, Operations Manager, Broome Hospital, WACHS Kimberley 14 hours ago
We have made a change
James Sherriff
Operations Manager, Broome Hospital,
WACHS Kimberley
Submitted on 9/05/2025 at 12:17 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 2:34 PM


Dear correspondenceks55,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and for your kind words about the care you received at Broome Hospital. We deeply appreciate your recognition of our staff's professionalism and dedication.

We also sincerely acknowledge your concern regarding staff safety. The safety and wellbeing of our team members is a top priority, and we do not tolerate any form of abuse toward our staff.

We are currently in the process of a significant upgrade to our duress and nurse call systems across the site. This project commenced this month and is part of our broader commitment to improving safety and response systems. While the new system is being installed, we have implemented robust interim mitigation strategies, including increased security presence and a manual alert process that has ensured prompt responses to incidents. To date, these measures have been effective, with no harm reported to staff during this transition period.

We recognise, however, that staff perceptions of safety are equally important, and we continue to engage directly with teams to support their concerns and provide reassurance during this period of change. Personal duress alarms remain a key component of the new system, and we are working to ensure their timely and effective rollout.

Thank you again for your feedback. Your advocacy for healthcare workers is valued, and we remain committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for both staff and patients.

Best regards

James Sherriff

Operations Manager Broome Hospital

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