The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation have described the latest figures for assaults on frontline workers as 'absolutely shocking' and 'completely unacceptable'.
The nursing union were speaking after figures revealed that 262 hospital staff were assaulted in Irish hospitals during June.
Nursing staff made up the majority of that figure with 161 reporting some form of assault last month.
The union have highlighted overcrowding, poor staffing levels and Covid care restrictions as adding to the problem of assaults on staff and are calling on hospitals to increase security.
Speaking to RedFM News, Colm Porter from the INMO in Cork says being assaulted at work should not be a consideration for frontline workers:
"Nobody, especially nurses, should be going to work to get assaulted. They're going to work every day to provide the highest quality of care regardless of what situation they're working in. For a nurse to be assaulted at work is absolutely unacceptable. Our view would be that zero tolerance should be taken to any assault against a nurse working in the HSE or any healthcare setting. Employees can do more, they can support staff working in the HSE to make reports to the Gardaí."
