SECURITY measures at the Leeton District Hospital have recently been upgraded to protect both staff and patients at the facility.
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This had been an issue nurses at the hospital had previously raised with their union - the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association - as well as Member for Murray Helen Dalton.
Now, it appears their concerns have been validated, with the Murrumbidgee Local Health District putting new measures in place.
MLHD director of clinical operations Cherie Puckett said the upgrades to security at the hospital had been recently carried out.
"(This includes) the installation of swipe card access between public and clinical areas and the installation of remote locking on external doors to improve perimeter controls," she said.
"Security support provided at the hospital includes a full-time staff member, as well as an external contractor.
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"A security officer is present during the evening shift changeover, assisting staff to walk to their cars.
"Regular patrols of the hospital are made to check external doors throughout the night."
Ms Puckett said the MLHD regularly reviewed security and security staffing levels at all of its health facilities, including the Leeton hospital.
The push for the hospital to have a doctor at the location full-time is also continuing by Mrs Dalton.
However, the on-call system does remain in place.
The hospital currently has seven doctors appointed as "visiting medical
officers" (VMOs) working in the emergency department and acute inpatient services. This includes five general practitioner VMOs and two GP trainees.
"There is also a full-time emergency care nurse practitioner," Ms Puckett said.
"In addition, locum doctors are employed on short-term contracts to cover any gaps in the medical roster, such as holiday leave."
