TEWKSBURY, Mass. — Tewksbury State Hospital will be reinstating defensive weapons for security staff in non-clinical spaces within the hospital, according to officials.
The change comes following multiple incidents at the hospital where staff members were attacked, and patients have attacked one another.
[ Concern for staff safety grows at Tewksbury State Hospital ]
At the beginning of April, officials announced that hospital workers could no longer use items such as pepper spray, batons, or other defensive tools, citing that such measures were inappropriate in a clinical setting. Since then, violent encounters have been mounting.
Security Team Specialists at the hospital will be equipped with defensive tools such as pepper gel, baton, and handcuffs, with the acceptation of clinical spaces where patients receive clinical services.
“This is an important development for the safety of our staff and patients, but we need to go father to deal with the root cause of this violence, which is the increase in the forensic population at these facilities, and that must include the creation of forensic units specific to this population, which is key to preventing these assaults occurring in the first place,” said a representative from the Massachusetts Nurses’ Union.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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