Police in casualty is costing £32,000

‘Safety of patients and staff is our first priority’

A WEEKEND police presence at the Royal Oldham Hospital’s accident and emergency department is costing more than £30,000.

The Pennine Acute Trust, which runs hospitals in Oldham, Rochdale, Bury and North Manchester, said increased violence against staff prompted the security measure.

In 2009-10, the trust paid Greater Manchester Police approximately £32,000 for a police officer to attend accident and emergency on Friday and Saturday nights between 10am-3am.

The measure is in addition to the trust’s on site 24 hours security service.

Pam Miller, associate director of facilities at the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This arrangement was established several years ago following an increase in violent incidents towards staff.

“It has proved very successful and is reassuring for both patients and our staff.

“The safety of patients, visitors and staff is always our first priority.”

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said it was down to each hospital trust to pay for its own cover.

New figures disclosed by hospitals across the country showed trusts were paying tens of thousands of pounds a year in a bid to stop violence against staff.

The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde paid a total of £60,000 a year for four officers to cover A&E at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Western Infirmary in Glasgow on a Friday and Saturday night.

A spokeswoman for Unison, which represents 450,000 health workers in the UK, said it was a “sad fact”’ that accident and emergency departments needed police officers to protect staff and patients.

She said: “We have spoken to staff working in A&E departments and some of them say it is like a war zone on Friday and Saturday nights.

“There is no doubt the 24-hour drinking culture has meant that people are attending A&E drunk, particularly at the weekend.

“It’s very frightening for staff working there and other patients.”