The Government has given the go ahead for the health service to seek special insurance cover for psychiatric nurses who may suffer personal injuries resulting from assaults by their patients.
The Department of Health confirmed the Government today approved a proposal by Minister for Health Mary Harney to address the issue raised by the Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA) and Siptu, regarding compensation for injuries resulting from such assaults.
In a statement, the department said the Government agreed to authorise the Health Service Executive (HSE) to seek personal injury insurance cover for nurses employed in mental health services.
"This insurance would provide a fixed tariff of compensation for particular physical injuries resulting from assault by a patient. This would be in addition to the benefits available under the existing Serious Physical Assaults Scheme," the statement said.
"The Government also decided to request the HSE in cooperation with the State Claims Agency (SCA) to examine how a scheme applicable to the wider health service might be administered and funded and to revert to the Minister for Health and Children and Minister for Finance with proposals for such a scheme.
"The HSE is also being instructed to examine the procedures in place to reduce the level of assaults on staff by patient/clients and to revert to the Minister for Health and Children with a report within twelve months," the statement concluded.
A report by the PNA last year revealed that psychiatric nurses had experienced 47 per cent more assaults in 2005 compared to 2001.
Nurses reported being stabbed, bitten, head-butted, groped and kicked, and attacked with weapons such as fire extinguishers, a pool cue, blood-filled syringes and crutches. The greatest number of assaults, according to the report, were perpetrated by people with a drug addiction combined with a mental illness or intellectual disability.
Some 1,257 assaults were reported to the PNA in 2005. More than 140 nurses needed more than three days of sick leave to recover.
In 2003, a task force recommended a compensation scheme and a package of measures to protect nurses but it was never implemented.