Recent data shows the number of healthcare workers hospitalised after being assaulted at work has more than doubled in a decade.

National figures released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show assault has now climbed from the fourth to the second leading cause of hospitalisation for injuries among healthcare workers. By comparison, assault ranks seventh for the general Australian population.

Assault-related hospitalisations among healthcare workers rose from 49 in 2015-16 to 126 in 2024-25 – a jump in the rate from 4.3 to 8.1 per 100,000 healthcare workers.

The ANMF said the findings of the AIHW report reinforced what the ANMF already knew was occurring in health and aged care settings across the country.

“Nurses, midwives and personal care workers continue to be attacked, abused and intimidated in their workplaces. We also know that workplace violence and aggression is underreported, so the true scale of the problem could be much worse,” said ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler.

“Occupational violence and aggression in the workplace are causing significant physical and psychological harm and trauma which is impacting health workers and their capacity to deliver care.”

The AIHW report also found there were 7,416 injury hospitalisations among healthcare workers over the 10 years to 2024-25, including 819 in 2024-25 alone.