Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has told drinkers in North Wales that aggression against NHS staff will not be tolerated and could see offenders banned from local pubs and clubs.
Any incidents of abuse or assault on NHS staff that are reported to police will be passed on to be considered by the local pubwatch or Nightsafe group. Where the offender was under the influence of alcohol, these groups will have the power to issue banning orders, the health board said.
However, National Pubwatch chairman Steve Baker said extending schemes to include public authority bodies could “muddy the water”.
He said: “If pubwatch schemes are extended to hospitals, sometimes it can be used to deal with problems that need to be addressed by the hospital manager. With ambulances, the issue is different if the member of staff is attacked on the premises.
“It depends on the relationship between the hospital and pubwatch, as public authority bodies should not become members of the groups and influence the decision-making process.”
