NSW hospitals see surge in staff assaults amid mental health crisis

Internal documents show almost 400 incidents of physical aggression at Calvary Mater Hospital over the past five years, with about half of them occurring in the psychiatric emergency department. The Hunter New England health district recorded 20,888 mental‑health presentations in 2024/25, up from 13,143 a decade earlier, giving it the second‑highest rate among New South Wales’ local health districts.

Health workers and unions warn that staff violence is rising sharply. The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association reports that 88 % of its members have experienced or witnessed aggression in the last year. Shadow Minister for Health Sarah Mitchell linked the increase to longer wait times and a breakdown in mental‑health services. In response, the Minns government has created a taskforce to improve safety for staff, patients and visitors, and Health Minister Ryan Park said anyone acting aggressively has no right to remain on hospital premises.