New figures obtained by RNZ reveal a sharp rise in assaults on hospital workers, with a 30 percent increase in just two years. In the 12 months to June, 7,777 assaults were reported against Health NZ staff, up from 6,635 the previous year and 6,001 in 2023. Waikato Hospital emergency nurse and NZ Nurses Organisation delegate Tracy Chisholm said reporting was often impractical in a high-pressure environment. Health NZ has boosted hospital security with NZ$31 million in additional funding, 44 new security officers at larger hospitals, and 20,000 hours of violence-reduction training for staff. “I just hope we don’t see the day where a hospital worker suffers severe injury or death,” said Patient Voice Aotearoa’s Malcolm Mulholland.