When you walk into a hospital, you expect care, compassion, and a sense of safety—especially if you’re in your seventies and facing a health scare.
But for Vic, a 73-year-old pensioner, his recent hospital visit turned into a distressing ordeal that’s left him shaken, angry, and still searching for answers more than a year later.
Vic’s story begins in March last year, when he took himself to Monash Health’s Moorabbin Hospital. He was suffering from a cyst in his throat and emphysema and needed a tracheostomy.
Like many of us, he hoped for understanding and support. Instead, he claims he was met with resistance, rough handling, and ultimately, a frightening confrontation with hospital security.
According to Vic, his experience at the hospital quickly soured. Unhappy with how he was being treated, he decided to leave and seek care elsewhere.
But, he said, a security guard refused to let him go. What happened next was captured on body-worn camera footage that Vic fought for months to obtain.
The footage, which Vic said is still painful to watch, shows him being pushed down and restrained in a hospital chair.
Audio from the video records Vic pleading, ‘That’s me throat, you’re hurting me throat,’ as a security guard grabs him by the neck.
The 73-year-old says he was left feeling powerless and humiliated.
‘I’m still disgusted by what they did to me. You shouldn’t do that, and the hospital did nothing about it,’ Vic said. ‘What they did to me was terrible, and nobody cares.’
A battle for justice
Vic’s fight didn’t end at the hospital doors. He’s been seeking justice for over a year, lodging complaints with Monash Health and Victoria Police, and amassing a mountain of correspondence.
But so far, he said, he’s been met with indifference.
‘I’m like an old tin can that’s been kicked down the road,’ he said, describing his frustration and isolation throughout the process.
Monash Health, for its part, claims that Vic was the instigator. In an email to Vic, the hospital alleged that his behaviour became aggressive and that he took hold of a fire extinguisher, making staff feel threatened.
‘Your behaviour became aggressive and you took hold of a fire extinguisher still on the wall…The staff present felt threatened,’ the email read.
A spokesperson for Monash Health said the hospital must protect patients and staff, and that all teams involved acted appropriately.
‘Monash Health has a duty to take all reasonably practicable steps, including de-escalation, to protect patients and staff from the consequences of aggressive behaviours, including by taking appropriate steps to prevent patients from harming themselves,’ the spokesperson said.
The hospital also stated that it thoroughly reviewed the incident and supported Victoria Police’s investigation. However, due to patient privacy obligations, it declined to comment further.
A broader issue: Security, safety, and patient rights
Vic’s story raises important questions about the balance between hospital security and patient rights, especially for older Australians who may be more vulnerable or have complex health needs.
Hospitals are under increasing pressure to keep staff and patients safe, particularly in the wake of rising reports of aggression and violence in healthcare settings. But where is the line between necessary intervention and excessive force?
It’s important to remember that you have rights as a patient. The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights outlines your entitlement to safe and respectful care, to be informed about your treatment, and to make decisions about your healthcare.
This includes the right to leave a hospital if you wish, provided you can do so.
Have you or someone you know had a challenging experience in a hospital or with security staff? Are hospitals striking the right balance between safety and patient rights? We’d love to hear your thoughts and stories in the comments below.
Also read: Pensioners face tough housing choices—here’s how to prepare
After working in various hospitals for over 40 years , I can say , if Security were called it would have been in response to patient aggression, even though the hospital didn’t comment, there is a whole lot more VIC is leaving out about his actions that he could tell you, the issue though is the amount of force used and whether consistent with the perceived threat.
I don’t know about this story, but I do know that if you even question some health workers with a question they start saying you are being aggressive. On top of that with all of the failures of doctors and nurses at various times that result in death or major suffering of patients I think they need to study their actions also.