ACT Minister for Mental Health Emma Davidson has said she is prepared to discuss the possibility of an inquiry into the working conditions at Dhulwa Mental Health Unit with the nurses union.
But any inquiry would be unlikely until a WorkSafe ACT investigation has finished at the site, after the workplace safety watchdog has issued an improvement and prohibition notice to Canberra Health Services over conditions at the site.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation ACT branch secretary Matthew Daniel has called for an urgent independent inquiry into Dhulwa as nurses reported more than 100 assaults over a six-month period at the facility. The call has been backed by the territory's opposition.
There has also been an escalation in violence over recent weeks. Last week alone, one staff member sustained a fracture and another nurse lost part of their finger after a patient closed the door on their hand.
"For too long we've seen occupational violence that is preventable," Mr Daniel said.
"The fact that the independent safety regulator has had to step in and do the work of the government is a sign that the government's work to date is not working, it's failing nurses."
Mr Daniel fronted the media with the Canberra Liberals on Wednesday morning, as the opposition had backed the union's call for an inquiry into problems at Dhulwa.
"What we are seeing happening at the Dhulwa Mental Health facility is absolutely shocking," Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said
"We have nurses that are being assaulted and abused each and every day and this Minister has gone missing.
"The Minister for Mental Health must act, she must step up and take responsibility for not keeping a safe workplace for our nurses."
Ms Davidson said on Wednesday that she would discuss the prospect of an inquiry with the union.
"I would like to have a conversation with the union about what an inquiry would look like and how it can best address the needs of the nurses who are members," she said.
"I would very much welcome a conversation with the union to talk about what we can do there and to make sure that any inquiry or review that we conduct is something that meets the needs of their members."
