SWAN Hill District Health (SHDH) is reminding the community to be kind and respectful when visiting their health service.
Staff at the main entrance to SHDH were recently subject to “multiple occasions of heightened aggression” from members of the public, annoyed at being asked to use QR code scanning on entry – a requirement under Covid-19 regulations.
“Aggressive behaviour and verbal threats greatly impact on our healthcare staff,” SHDH Corporate Business director Kim Bennetts told The Guardian.
“Swan Hill District Health will not tolerate violence, and this includes verbal aggression.”
Ms Bennetts said all visitors to SHDH were required to adhere to the screening processes.
“We are mandated to record details of those entering our health service and to ask screening questions to ensure you are safe to enter,” she said.
“We’ll ask you this every time you visit. Our staff are here to ensure we comply with these requirements, and we ask that you remember to be kind and respectful while they carry out their duties.
“These measures are in place to protect our vulnerable patients and consumers.
“Police will be called and legal action will be taken when it is proven that our staff, in carrying out their health care duties, have been verbally or physically abused.”
