Violence in the accident and emergency department.

It is not surprising that the increased level of violence in society has had its effect upon safety within the Accident and Emergency (A & E) department. At a time when every health professional including General Practitioners (GPs) report incidents of assault during their work, it is inevitable that such incidents should also occur within hospitals. Many A & E departments now employ security firms to guard the premises and to be on call should trouble arise. Most departments would have a system of closed circuit television which may be useful in identifying and controlling trouble at an early stage and in assisting in the recognition of offenders subsequently. Unfortunately such measures are not entirely successful in preventing violence in the departments, and the nurse may be confronted by such situations as: An injured person coming in with his drunken friends on a Friday night or after a football match, bringing havoc and uproar to the department An injured spouse/cohabitee following a violent quarrel at home, with the uninjured party trailing behind fiercely defensive of his innocence and yet aggressive to others around Tramps, bewildered and terrified, denying the need for help and resisting the assistance of the staff. What is the legal position of the nurse in such situations? If the nurse fears for safety would the right exist to evict such persons from the department even though there may be severe injuries? Is the nurse permitted to take any action in self-defence? What duty exists upon the nurse's employer to secure health and safety?(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)