The number of acts of violence reported in hospitals has risen significantly in recent years, according to figures released by health and social security minister  (CSV).

Responding to a parliamentary question from MP (CSV), the minister said that between 2019 and 2023, some hospital structures saw the number of reported assaults more than double. “Between 2022 and 2023 alone, an increase of almost 30% was recorded,” she said. In 2023, around 185 cases of assault were recorded at the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL) and the Robert Schuman Hospitals (HRS). However, these figures do not give details of the seriousness or scale of the incidents.

In response to this upsurge, the health authorities and hospitals have launched a number of initiatives to protect healthcare staff and raise awareness among users:

- Awareness-raising: posters displayed in emergency departments raise awareness among patients and their families about attacks on healthcare staff;

- Training: healthcare teams receive specific training to deal with situations of verbal and physical aggression. These modules cover stress management, de-escalating tensions and preventing aggression;

- Support for victims: Staff who have been attacked are received by members of management to receive psychological support if necessary, and are informed about the possibility of lodging a complaint with the police.

Hospitals also have security guards who can be called in if necessary. However, Deprez insisted, “All measures taken to deal with an aggressive patient respect the patient’s dignity and comply with current legislation, taking into account the seriousness of the behaviour and the specific needs of each situation. There is no such thing as a ‘special zone,’ but obviously care staff and security guards show sensitivity by trying to keep the patient out of the way and reduce interactions to a strict minimum in order to calm the situation.”

The budgets earmarked for hospital security in 2025 were also unveiled by the minister. Robert Schuman Hospitals will benefit from the largest budget, with €1.9m, followed by the CHL (€1.5m) and the Centre Hospitalier du Nord (CHDN) with €1.3m.

This article was originally published in .