Drugs such as ice and alcohol, crowded emergency departments and lack of beds — blamed for the increasing violence in Victorian hospitals which have jumped by more than one third in the past year.

Police were called to major hospitals or nearby medical centres 265 times in 2012 to 2013, a 35% increase on the previous year. Moreover, documents obtained under Freedom of Information reveal that in 2012, eleven major hospitals issued more than 7000 “code grey” alerts over aggressive and threatening behaviour. Melbourne, Monash, Peninsula and Austin health services each called more than 1000 code greys in a single year.

As a result, unions for doctors and nurses are calling on the State Government to honour its election pledge to protect health workers. Read the rest of the article, Click Here