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Surgeon in critical condition after 'terrible' hospital assault

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A Melbourne surgeon and father of two is fighting for his life after a terrifying one-punch attack in the foyer of Box Hill Hospital.

In the latest of a series of recent attacks on the state's health workers, cardiac and thoracic surgeon Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann suffered life-threatening injuries after being punched in the head on Tuesday night following a verbal altercation.

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Police release CCTV footage of Box Hill assault suspect

Police are searching for three people in this CCTV footage in their investigation into the Box Hill assault.

Dr Pritzwald-Stegmann is aged in his 40s and is the father of two young children.

It is understood he was on his way home at the end of his shift and became concerned about people smoking near the doors when the assault occurred.

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The attack comes amid mounting concern about the prevalence of violence towards the state's health workers. 

An October 2016 Fairfax Media analysis of health services' annual reports showed there that almost every hour a health worker was bitten, spat at, punched abused or threatened while trying to care for patients in Victorian hospitals.

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Detective Senior Sergeant Ian Shepherd said the surgeon was hit in the face and fell to the ground unconscious.

Dr Pritzwald-Stegmann underwent surgery on Tuesday night, but remained in a critical condition in intensive care on Wednesday.

"It's a one-punch assault where this person is now seriously injured," Senior Sergeant Shepherd said.

"We've certainly seen plenty of incidents in the past where people die from these incidents. 

"That's as serious as you can get."

Dr Pritzwald-Stegmann, who is based out of neighbouring Epworth Eastern hospital at Box Hill, is described as a highly skilled surgeon with special interests in heart valve and aortic surgery.

He has worked in cardiothoracic centres in Europe and often works with lung cancer patients, according to Epworth Healthcare's website says.

In 2002, he graduated from a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.

"Patrick is able to deliver state-of-the-art surgery safely and effectively, while reducing surgical trauma," the Epworth website says.

"He is affiliated with two weekly lung cancer multidisciplinary meetings, enabling his patients to draw on the combined experience of some of Australia's foremost lung cancer physicians."

Police believe the attacker fled the scene immediately after the assault, about 7.20pm, but may have been at the hospital for some time beforehand, with a group of people.

Senior Sergeant Shepherd described the attack as "frightening and scary" and said the victim's family was devastated.

"[They family is] very shaken and really troubled by the incidents last night and right at the moment they're caring for their family member. His condition is very serious."

Eastern Health confirmed one of their staff members had been injured in the attack which they described as a "terrible incident".

"We can confirm that police are investigating the assault of a staff member at Box Hill Hospital. The staff member was stabilised before being transported to The Alfred in a critical condition," a spokeswoman said.

"This is a terrible incident and we have been in contact with the staff member's family. They have requested privacy at this time."

Michael Grigg, the former director of surgery at Eastern Health, said violence against medical staff was a regular occurrence.  

"It's just a terrible incident and one more episode of violence occurring in our hospitals," he said. "For some reason we seem to think the punch is almost acceptable. It's not acceptable." 

The police hunt continues for the alleged attacker, who is pictured in CCTV footage with a blonde woman and another man, carrying three grocery bags into the hospital lifts.

In the footage, released by police on Wednesday afternoon, the man is seen entering the lift, and then getting out on another level.

Senior Sergeant Shepherd said the footage was taken before the attack.

"We believe that he may well have been visiting a patient, and we're certainly keen to find out who that patient is," he said of the alleged attacker.

"We're extremely keen to identify and to apprehend this person and to speak to them in relation to the incident.

"Our message is for him to make contact with us."

Fairfax Media recently reported a push for more funding to protect healthcare workers from a growing number of dangerous patients, amid reports of staff being held hostage and bashed on the job.

The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine said patients with ice-induced psychosis were now being put into comas as a last resort to protect staff who do not have enough resources to restrain them.

"Many hospitals are not set up to look after their staff ... It's getting worse and worse and people are just absorbing it," Dr Simon Judkins said.

There have been calls for more security at hospitals since one of the most high-profile attacks on medical staff in 2014, when neurosurgeon Michael Wong was stabbed up to 30 times in the foyer of Footscray Hospital.

Earlier this year, a nurse at the Royal Melbourne Hospital was allegedly held at knife-point by patient in a surgical ward.

The Australian Medical Association has condemned the Box Hill Hospital attack, saying that aggressive behaviour and physical assaults on healthcare workers was a common occurrence.

"Violence and aggression towards healthcare workers must stop," said Victorian branch president Lorraine Baker.

"Under no circumstances is it OK for a patient or a visitor to abuse, threaten or assault a hospital worker. But it is a terrible reality, and sometimes a regular occurrence for those who work in hospital emergency departments and on the wards.

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons said violence against medical staff was unacceptable. "All interpersonal violence is deplorable - an alleged assault by single punch to a Box Hill surgeon whose life is now critically threatened by resultant brain injury is obscene," Dr John Crozier said.

Acting Health Minister Martin Foley said he hoped the perpetrator of the "completely villainous and heinous act" was brought to justice quickly.

"The incident today at Box Hill is completely unacceptable," he said. "Our hospitals are places of healing and support. The last thing any of us expects is an incident like this."

Mr Foley said health professionals were at high risk of violence and that the government needed to review its investment in hospital safety procedures.

He said the government had invested more than $20 million in the recent budget to make hospitals safer for health professionals, visitors and patients. He said all major hospitals had comprehensive internal security, but he understood the incident occurred at the front of the hospital, "raising a whole new series of concerns". 

The offender is described as Caucasian, aged between 20 and 30 years old, with a medium build.

He was wearing all-black clothing and a black cap at the time of the incident.

While the man's role at the hospital is unconfirmed, several surgeons and emergency physicians have expressed solicitude on social media in the wake of the assault.

"This is a tragedy," one man posted on Twitter.

"My fingers crossed and best wishes to the victim & all of my friends at Eastern Health."

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Violence in Victorian hospitals

  • An October 2016 Fairfax Media analysis of health services' annual reports showed there were 8627 reports of occupational violence in Victoria's public hospitals in the year to July, and of those 1166 resulted in staff injury or illness.
  • April 2017: A nurse at the Royal Melbourne Hospital was allegedly held hostage at knife point and by a 60-year-old male patient.
  • October 2016: A patient angry about waiting for care drove their four-wheel-drive through the glass doors of the emergency department at Sunshine Hospital. In a separate incident at the same hospital, a patient slit their wrists, sprayed blood on staff and punched a nurse in the face repeatedly.
  • April 2016: A patient cornered two staff in a trauma ward at Royal Melbourne Hospital and punched a nurse in the face.
  • February 2014: Neurosurgeon Michael Wong was stabbed up to 30 times in the foyer of Footscray Hospital as he arrived for work.