Police were called to Palmerston North hospital last Friday after a man got into the back seat of a nurse's car with a gun. Photo:
Palmerston North hospital staff are "freaked out" and want improved security after a gun-wielding man threatened their colleague who was walking to her car after her Friday night shift.
The nurses' union said it had been raising concerns about staff parking for months.
Health NZ said it was working on improving safety.
Police were called about 11pm on Friday after a man got into the back seat of the woman's car and pointed a gun at her, telling her to drive.
She drove a short distance before getting out of the car and asking for help at a nearby house.
The man fled on foot.
RNZ understands the woman was a nurse.
A hospital worker, who RNZ agreed not to name, said staff were "freaked out" by what happened.
Staff had told management they were worried about their safety walking to their cars at night in the dark, he said.
He believed the hospital was trying its best, and he understood people could call security and ask for an escort.
"Improved security would be nice," he said.
"Hospital staff are almost used to that kind of stuff at this point. It's very much a shame."
NZ Nurses' Organisation Palmerston North Hospital delegate Pip Fissenden said they had been calling for car park improvements for up to a year.
Workers had been struggling to find staff parks in the Wilson's car park because it was too full, but they had been told not to park in the public spaces there, she said.
That meant they had to park on the street, further away from the hospital.
"We've been told Te Whatu Ora is waiting for a national car parking policy. But I don't know how you have a national policy about that when it's a local issue," she said.
"If you're on your own, it's daunting in the dark."
Staff were stressed after hearing about what happened on Friday night, and were thinking 'that could have been me', she said.
They had been told the hospital had been working on a permanent fix for months, Fissenden said.
Health NZ's MidCentral group director of operations, Fiona McCarthy said they recognised staff concerns and were committed to improving safety.
"The team is urgently working on increased permanent parking options for staff who work afternoon and night shifts."
Staff had a range of options including paid onsite parking, street parking, and dedicated on call parking spots, said McCarthy.
Historically all staff could park on site but demand outstripped availability, so the hospital could not continue issuing parking permits to everyone, she said.
In the meantime, after Friday's attack the hospital had opened up access to the staff carpark for those working afternoon and night shifts, and boosted security on the hospital grounds.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
