2,373 assaults recorded against healthcare workers this year
There have been 2,373 assaults recorded against healthcare workers so far this year, including 23 sexual assaults.
While none of the reported events so far this year has been branded as “major”, there have been over 100 so-called “moderate” events.
Since 2015, the HSE has operated a National Incident Management System (NIMS), which requires all incidents to be reported through a national centralised system, the Irish Examiner reports.
The data provided to Sinn Féin’s health spokesman, David Cullinane, by the HSE confirmed that as of June 4th, there had been 2,373 assaults against staff so far this year.
Of the 2,373 assaults so far this year, some 23 have been classified as sexual assault, while 585 were classified as verbal assault.
Direct physical assaults accounted for nearly three-quarters of all incidents, with 1,765 recorded.
Some 2,064 of the events were branded “negligible”, which the HSE defined as an “adverse event leading to minor injury not requiring first aid”.
There were 205 minor events, which resulted in a minor injury or illness; where first aid treatment was required; there was a hospital stay of less than three days; or a person experienced impaired psychosocial functioning for more than three days but less than one month.
Another 103 assaults were classified as “moderate”.
This is when there is a significant injury requiring medical treatment, such as a fracture or counselling; the incident is reportable to the Health Safety Authority (HSA); the worker is out of work for more than three days; there is a hospital stay of between three and eight days; or there is impaired psychosocial functioning for more than one month but less than six.
There have been no incidents classified as major to date in 2026, nor in 2025.
This can involve major injuries, including a long-term incapacity or disability, including the loss of a limb.
