Christchurch Hospital has stepped up its security presence around its birthing unit following a disturbing incident in which a student midwife was assaulted after finishing a shift. The attack occurred as the staff member walked to their car after leaving the Antigua Street maternity facility, located in Christchurch’s central city. While the assault did not take place on hospital grounds, the event has raised serious concerns about staff safety in the surrounding area.
Health New Zealand responded promptly to the incident by reinforcing security measures at the hospital. According to Alison Eddy, Chief Executive of the New Zealand College of Midwives, existing safety provisions already included security personnel who are available to escort staff to their vehicles. However, in light of the recent attack, those measures are being enhanced further.
“I understand that the facility does have security staff available to escort staff back to their cars,” Eddy explained. “There’s absolutely that provision in place. I think sometimes people might have to wait a little bit to get access to that and people might feel they don’t want to do that. But I understand the facility does everything it can to support the safety of its staff and does make that service available already, and in response to this attack, they’ve stepped up even more support and security.”
Eddy also reflected on the broader societal issue that the incident represents, particularly around the risks faced by women. “It’s a reflection sadly that we know females are at risk of violence and dark places around hospitals are risky places. That’s just the reality of being a female, sadly, in this country,” she said. “This facility is really aware of that and has done and is continuing to do everything it can to support the safety of everybody who works in those facilities.”
In an internal communication to staff, Health New Zealand confirmed the incident but declined to release specific details to the media, citing privacy concerns. Despite this, Waitaha Canterbury’s Director of Operations, Hamish Brown, confirmed that the affected staff member is receiving appropriate support.
“As a precaution, we have increased security measures in this part of the campus to ensure staff, and others who work here, get to their vehicles safely at night,” Brown said. “We continue to remind staff, and others, to take appropriate safety precautions when they leave the hospital campus at night.”
Brown emphasized that the safety and well-being of healthcare staff is paramount. “At Health NZ, the safety and well-being of our staff, and other workers, is a critical part of delivering quality health care to New Zealanders. We take violence and aggression seriously, and our people should expect to come to work and be safe. We encourage them to report all incidents of abuse and assault.”
Interestingly, the police were unaware of the incident at the time of the report. A spokesperson stated that the attack did not appear to have been reported to authorities. “We encourage anyone who is the victim of an assault to make a report online or by calling 105 so police can make enquiries,” the spokesperson said.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by healthcare workers, particularly women, and underscores the urgent need for safe workplace environments—both inside and outside hospital grounds. -TIN Bureau
