LCQ 11: Police posts are being set in the Accident and Emergency Departments

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Following is the question by the Hon Mak Kwok-fung and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mrs Regina Ip, in the Legislative Council today (November 20):

Question:

It has been reported that, at the end of last month, more than ten people yelled noisily inside the Accident and Emergency ("A&E") department of the Prince of Wales Hospital because they were disgruntled about the failure of the doctors on duty to provide immediate treatment to their friends. Insults were hurled at the police officers who were on duty at the scene when they called a halt to such yelling. It was only after a dozen or so police officers had arrived that the situation was under control. Regarding the public order at A&E departments of public and private hospitals, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether there are police officers on duty round the clock in each A&E department at present; if so, of the average number of police officers on duty per shift in each A&E department and the duties of these police officers;

(b) whether it has assessed the adequacy of the existing police manpower in A&E departments for maintaining public order and ensuring that health care personnel are free from harassment; and

(c) of the number and details of cases in which health care personnel at A&E departments were assaulted and injured whilst on duty in the past five years?

Reply:

Madam President:

(a) A police post is set up in each of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments of the 14 public hospitals in Hong Kong. Except for Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital (AHMLNH) and North District Hospital (NDH), all police posts are manned 24 hours a day. The police posts at AHMLNH and NDH are operative between 8 am - 10 pm. This has taken into account the conditions of the relevant A & E Departments and local policing consideration which necessitates a more flexible and balanced deployment of front-line manpower. Besides, we understand that there is no A & E department in private hospitals.

The police post is manned by one police constable on each shift and his/her responsibility is to liaise between the health care personnel of the A&E Department and the police formation. He/she will conduct initial enquiry and report any case of interest referred by the health care personnel (for example, the injuries are suspected to be caused in incidents of criminal nature) to the police formation for further action.

(b) The role of the police constable at the police post is mainly to liaise between the health care personnel and the police formation. They are not specifically deployed to enforce public order or to safeguard health care personnel at the A&E Departments. However, they will execute constabulary duties where necessary and they can request backup reinforcement through the Command and Control Centre. Available reinforcement includes resources from the police formation of the district which covers the hospital, Regional Emergency Unit or Police Tactical Unit duties deployed on the ground.

(c) Police and the Hospital Authority have not kept specific figures in this respect. Incidents of troublemakers causing disturbance and seriously injuring health care personnel are rare. There were, however, individual incidents in which discontented, intoxicated or mentally unstable patients caused some nuisance.

End/Wednesday, November 20, 2002

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