Mater Hospital has banned 33 patients so far this year, including one for knife threat to staff

More than 30 patients have been barred from the Mater Hospital in Dublin so far this year for abusive or threatening behaviour. In at least two cases, patients who had been admitted to wards were subsequently arrested by gardaí and removed from the hospital. Management at the Mater said, in a report to its board, that these two incidents related to “violent behaviours towards staff and other patients”.The Mater Hospital told The Irish Times 33 exclusion orders had been issued between January and the end of September. READ MORE“Of these, 14 related to physical assault and 19 to verbal abuse or threatening behaviour,” it said.The hospital said “excluded patients cannot attend the hospital for a set period based on severity, but emergency care for life- or limb-threatening conditions is always provided”. It added: “Before exclusion, the care team ensures immediate treatment, arranges follow-up with community services or GPs, and advises patients on accessing care elsewhere.” The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, which is based in Dublin’s north inner city, said it recently updated its policy on dealing with antisocial behaviour, “in recognition of how seriously it takes its duty of care to all who use or work in the hospital”. “Violence and aggression towards our staff are not acceptable and the hospital will continue to take firm action to keep everyone in the hospital safe,” it said.The exclusion orders are issued by the hospital, not the courts, under the hospital’s policy on the prevention and management of challenging behaviours.“The decision to exclude a patient is taken by a senior hospital manager and reported to the office of the chief executive,” it said.“Exclusion is a last resort, typically following warnings, unless immediate action is required for severe cases like violence or weapon use. It applies only to patients with decision-making capacity, while those with underlying clinical conditions are managed clinically. The hospital involves An Garda Síochána when staff are assaulted or threatened.”In a report to the board of the Mater during the summer, management at the hospital said antisocial behaviour “remains a challenge”. Management said at that point (in June), there had been a total of nine exclusion orders issued since the start of the year.“One exclusion is for a 12-month period where a patient threatened staff with a knife. The remaining eight exclusion orders range between one- [and] two-month periods. Three of these patients had to be removed from the campus by the gardaí.”