Revealed: The Sydney hospitals where one in five patients don’t feel safe

November 16, 2026 — 5:00amOne patient in five feels unsafe in Blacktown or St Vincent’s emergency departments, government data has revealed, with almost one in 10 emergency patients not feeling safe statewide.Of 23,621 NSW patients asked whether they felt threatened by other patients or visitors in the emergency department, 1601– about 9 per cent – answered “yes, definitely” or “yes, to some extent”, according to the Bureau of Health Information’s 2024-25 Emergency Department Patient Survey.NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association’s Colette Duff says she encounters violence ‘every day’ working in emergency.James BrickwoodAt Royal Prince Alfred and Westmead, nearly one in five (19 per cent) felt threatened, as were 18 per at Liverpool and Auburn EDs. Around the state, women were less likely to feel safe than men; 11 per cent answered “yes” compared to 8 per cent of male respondents. Patients aged 18-34 were the most likely to report feeling threatened, at 14 per cent.Registered nurse and union delegate Colette Duff said she encountered violence every shift in a busy Sydney emergency department, particularly from elderly patients with dementia or affected by drugs.“I’ve been punched a number of times, I’ve been scratched, people try to bite me, swearing, threatening to hurt me,” the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association councillor said. At times, “you absolutely feel frightened”.Instances of healthcare workers being assaulted and hospitalised have more than doubled in the past decade, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data found. Assault accounts for 15.4 per cent of healthcare worker injuries, against 3.8 per cent in the general population. Last week, a nurse in Concord Hospital’s emergency department had her wrist broken after she and a doctor were allegedly assaulted by a patient. Last month, a patient at Prince of Wales Hospital doused three patients in petrol before setting one on fire.The NSW government committed last week to an extra 129 full-time equivalent security staff for the state’s emergency departments, in response to the safety taskforce set up with nurses, doctors and allied health unions.This will implement around-the-clock security at 27 hospitals. Emergency departments set to benefit include Prince of Wales, St Vincent’s, Blacktown, Royal Prince Alfred, Concord, Liverpool and Westmead.NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the emergency departments with the largest volumes of patients tended to be hotspots for violence, as the stress of a hospital environment was exacerbated by drugs, alcohol and mental health conditions.“Back 20 years ago, the drug of choice, heroin at the time, had a very different effect on the body than the types of drugs that we see now, particularly methamphetamine,” Park said. “That can have big impacts on the way people present to our emergency departments … [and] can also be pretty frightening for patients and visitors.“We think having additional boots on the ground, having additional security in place, will … not eliminate, but will go some way to reducing the impact.”Park said the government had already increased security staff by 13 per cent since taking office in 2023. During the same time period, security incidents decreased by about 12 per cent.However, many violent incidents go unreported, according to Dr Rachael Gill.“The frequency of minor and moderate events is so high that the clinicians and staff working in that space become habituated and desensitised in a way that’s not similar to other workplaces,” said Gill, NSW branch chair of the Australian College of Emergency Medicine.Dr Rachael Gill said instances of violence often go undocumented.Gill said emergency departments often have to call on hospital-wide security staff as violence and aggression can escalate quickly.She said having extra staff dedicated to EDs was “extremely important” for defusing or de-escalating conflicts or providing a rapid response when needed.NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association General Secretary Michael Whaites said preventative measures, such as adequate staff to address wait times, were vital to minimise violence in health settings.“While we welcome the announcement of additional security staff, the government and Ministry of Health have to deliver more to ensure our members are safe at work,” Whaites said. These included improvements in dealing with duress.A spokesperson from Sydney Local Health District said staff and witnesses to the alleged assault at Concord were being provided with support: “Any form of violence or harassment in our hospitals is unacceptable, and we have a zero tolerance approach to it.”A St Vincent’s Hospital, a spokesperson said at its emergency department, mental health-related presentations were among the highest proportions in the state, and behaviour of these patients could be confronting. In the past year, the hospital had made significant investments in ED safety, including dedicated 24-hour security officers.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.More:HospitalsFor subscribersCrimeHealthcareDoctors at workFrom our partners