Victoria’s Coalition has promised to deploy Protective Services Officers to major hospitals if it wins the November election, proposing a two-year trial aimed at protecting doctors, nurses and other staff from rising levels of violence and aggression.
Under the Liberal and Nationals plan, 70 PSOs would be assigned across seven major Victorian hospitals, providing a security presence inside and around hospital grounds, responding to serious incidents, assisting with prisoner guarding where appropriate and escorting staff to their vehicles.
The seven hospitals have not been identified in the material released by the Coalition, which says individual health services would work with authorities to determine how the officers were deployed.
The proposal comes amid mounting evidence that violence and aggressive behaviour towards Victorian health workers is increasing.
The Coalition says almost 24,000 incidents were reported across Victorian health services during 2024-25, equivalent to about 65 incidents a day.
That figure is broadly supported by official evidence, although the statewide total may be higher. Department of Health secretary Jenny Atta told a parliamentary hearing in November that annual reports showed more than 25,000 incidents of occupational violence during 2024-25. She cautioned, however, that those incidents could not all be described as assaults.
Occupational violence and aggression has a wider definition than physical attack. Victorian health authorities define it as incidents in which an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances arising from their work. The category can therefore include verbal abuse and threats as well as physical violence.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said: “Doctors, nurses, and healthcare staff should be able to do their jobs safely so that they can provide Victorians with the care they need.
“Almost 24,000 violent incidents in our hospitals in a year in simply unacceptable. That’s why my team has a plan to tackle the surge in violence that is plaguing our hospitals.
“A world-class health system must be a safe health system, and our plan to place PSOs in busy hospitals will support staff to deliver the quality care Victorians deserve.”
The pressure is particularly apparent at some of Melbourne’s busiest health services. Northern Health recorded 4,275 occupational violence and aggression incidents in 2024-25, the highest number reported by a Victorian health service, prompting an independent review with the Monash University Accident Research Centre.
Shadow health minister Georgie Crozier said: “Health workers need greater protection. The safety of our health workers is paramount – you should feel safe, feel protected, whether you are triaging a patient in ED or walking to your car after ending your shift.”
The Coalition also says criminal offences recorded at hospitals have almost doubled over the past two years. Crime Statistics Agency data confirms that Victoria has experienced elevated levels of recorded offending in recent years, but the Coalition’s material does not specify the hospital offence totals or the two comparison periods used for its claim. The hospital-specific doubling figure should therefore be treated as a Coalition claim rather than an independently established statewide measure. The latest Crime Statistics Agency recorded-offence dataset covers the year to March 2026.
PSOs currently operate primarily across Victoria’s public transport system and at a number of specialist security locations. Victoria Police says PSOs have powers to arrest and detain people, conduct searches, seize weapons and issue infringement notices
Labor has its own program aimed at reducing hospital violence and has acknowledged that the problem is getting worse.
In July, the government backed an independent examination of violence at Northern Health, looking at the causes of incidents as well as workplace design, hospital security and staff training. The findings are intended to feed into a three-year safety plan for Northern Health.
The government is also reviewing Victoria’s existing Framework for Preventing and Managing Occupational Violence and Aggression, with work examining security and alarm systems, staff training and support following incidents. Labor says it has invested more than $47 million in training, safety programs and reforms designed to prevent and respond to occupational violence.
Victoria has had a formal framework for managing hospital violence for several years, covering prevention, training, response, reporting and investigation. Health services also have guidance on the use of security-trained personnel and arrangements for dealing with weapons, developed with Victoria Police.
The difference between the approaches is therefore less about whether hospital violence requires action and more about the type of response. Labor’s current work is centred on prevention, security systems, training and reviews at health-service level, while the Coalition is proposing to add uniformed PSOs with arrest, detention, search and weapons-seizure powers to hospital security arrangements.
PSOs currently operate primarily across Victoria’s public transport system and at a number of specialist security locations. Victoria Police says PSOs have powers to arrest and detain people, conduct searches, seize weapons and issue infringement notices. They can also be assigned to specialist security duties outside the rail network.
Victorian law also allows additional locations to be declared designated places where PSOs can exercise their powers, providing a mechanism that could be relevant to any hospital deployment.
Shadow police and corrections minister Brad Battin said: “PSOs at crime hotspot hospitals will strengthen security around the clock.
“PSOs have the powers and training needed to respond to the increase in violent behaviour occurring in hospitals and take appropriate action to keep staff and patients safe.”
The proposal adds hospital security to the Coalition’s commitment to expand the PSO workforce. Wilson has already promised to recruit another 200 PSOs and reverse Labor’s changes to permanent station-based deployments if the Coalition wins government.
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