Former Health and Police Minister Peter Anderson has delivered his report with 48 recommendations, including standardising security practices statewide if possible.

Amit Gupta, who is president of the Wagga Base Hospital branch of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association, said the most pressing issue is a lack of security staff. 

"After 10pm, there are only three security guards for the hospital at that time," he said. "If they are serious about the security of doctors, nurses and patients then they should increase the personnel numbers." 

The interim review also recommended there be further examination of any need for security staff to carry batons and handcuffs.

It noted that doctors, nurses and other front line staff held strong and contrasting views on this issue.

"I won't support that," Mr Gupta said. "There are other options without making it seem like a jail, it's a hospital and we are there to serve the public." 

Health Minister Brad Hazzard thanked Mr Anderson for his work to date which has not called for any increase to security staffing numbers but does recommend ensuring staff are adequately trained.

“We know through workers compensation statistics that fewer staff in public hospitals are being injured in assaults in recent years," he said. 

“Nevertheless, Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data indicates assaults that occur on public and private hospital premises, not necessarily in the wards or on staff, are increasing.”

Mr Gupta said nurses, particularly from the mental health unit, tell him they see the violence as part of the job.

"We need a plan to make everybody seem secure," he said. 

"I appreciate Mr Anderson's report and Mr Hazzard should act on it as soon as possible." 

Other recommendations also covered changing security culture at the frontline, standardising security practices as much as possible statewide, making Local Health Districts accountable for security and leading cultural change, defining roles, responsibilities and powers of hospital security staff; and ensuring hospital staff are adequately trained. 

In November, staff said violent incidents in Wagga Base Hospital’s emergency department are both an almost-daily occurrence and a growing problem. 

Jeremy Fry, the hospital’s co-director of emergency medicine, said the issue was something staff had to constantly think about.

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