Gardaí are investigating a serious attack on a psychiatric nurse at St Fintan's Hospital, Portlaoise, in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The nurse was jumped on by an intruder who was looking for drugs at around 3.15am. The intruder was carrying a knife and a needle which he used to stab the nurse. The male nurse had to be treated for his injuries at Portlaoise General Hospital.
Des Kavanagh, general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), said he understood the nurse responded to a call for help and in responding to the call he was jumped on from behind. "The person who attacked him was holding what appeared to be a Stanley knife and a needle. He cut him on the arm quite deeply," he said.
The nurse was also cut on the chest and was knocked to the ground and kicked, he added. "His head was banged off the ground and he was stabbed with the needle.
"He shouted at the nurse 'where are the drugs, where are the drugs' and obviously felt he could access drugs by attacking this nurse," Mr Kavanagh said.
He said the security person on duty had finished their shift when the incident occurred.
Last night the Health Service Executive Midlands Area said it was reviewing security arrangements at the hospital. It also said it was co-operating with gardaí and providing assistance and support to the victim.
By coincidence, the PNA was meeting Minister for Health Mary Harney yesterday to discuss a number of issues including what it claims is a need for proper training for nurses on the front line who may have to deal with attacks, appropriate security at their workplaces and a compensation scheme for nurses assaulted at work.
"This isn't the first time we've had nurses stabbed. We've had nurses stabbed in Artane 12 years ago that never got one penny compensation, and the advice to them is that they should put their house up for remortgaging and risk a case in the High Court to prove that the employer is liable and this is patently unfair," Mr Kavanagh told RTÉ's News at One.
After the meeting with Mr Kavanagh, the Department of Health in a statement said Ms Harney was concerned about any instance of violence and aggression towards healthcare workers.
It said the Government had decided not to introduce a "no fault" compensation scheme for psychiatric nurses.
Instead, the Government has asked the State Claims Agency to examine the possibility of amending the Serious Physical Assaults Scheme (last revised in 2001) to include a fixed redress fund for physical injury caused by assault at work.