The government spent an additional $5.7 million on security in emergency departments for summer, after an increase in "violent incidents" at hospitals. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Emergency department doctors say some of extra security staff they have been given over summer are not properly trained.
Before Christmas, the Government spent $5.7 million on hiring 200 extra security guards for EDs across the country over the summer.
The overcrowded waiting rooms have become increasingly unsafe as hospitals struggle to cope with high demand and frustrated patients and whānau.
The Australasian College of Emergency Medicine co-chair Dr Kate Allen told Midday Report well-trained security guards were a great help.
But she said others left doctors and nurses feeling unsupported and some ED's didn't get any security guards at all.
"It's an incredibly vulnerable environment for the patients that are going through this, the other patients and for the staff, and they need to be sensitive to that. We're not a nightclub. It's a very different environment".
The Auckland based doctor said security guards should work as part of the hospital team to keep patients and staff safe.
"The positives came from those where the security guards were integrated within the department, involved in in-patient care and essentially part of the team. It's really key that they're part of the emergency teams".
"The negatives were those where the security guards weren't involved, more based outside and not really involved within the team in the emergency department".
Dr Allen wanted to ensure security guards were working at emergency departments 24/7 and that those staff were well-trained.
She said the College would meet with Health Minister Shane Reti about the future of security guards at hospitals at some stage.