The RCSI HSE National Clinical Programme for Emergency Medicine is marking Emergency Medicine Day today by joining colleagues across Europe to recognise the vital role of emergency departments and the teams who work within them.

This year’s theme, 'A Safe Space for Emergency Medicine Teams', underscores the importance of ensuring that emergency departments are safe and supportive environments for both staff and patients.

Emergency medicine teams operate at the frontline of the health service, delivering rapid, life-saving care in high-pressure and unpredictable settings. However, findings from a national report on incident reporting in emergency departments highlight the ongoing challenges faced by staff. These include exposure to violence, aggression and unsafe behaviours, alongside wider system pressures such as staffing constraints, delays in care and overcrowding.

While serious incidents that cause major harm are rare, emergency departments experience a disproportionately high level of dangerous occurrences, violence, harassment and aggression towards staff is the third most-common reported event in emergency departments (6,288 occurrences between 2020 and 2025).

These findings reinforce the urgent need to ensure safe working conditions for staff, not only to protect their well-being but also to safeguard patient care, support retention of skilled professionals and enable high-quality, efficient services.

Alongside the focus on staff safety, emergency departments also play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable patients, including those affected by domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

The Programme’s recently published Quality Improvement Framework for the Identification and Response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Emergency Departments and Injury Units sets out a nationally coordinated, structured approach to care. It emphasises early identification, clear referral pathways and the provision of trauma-informed, compassionate support in a safe and dignified environment.

Emergency departments are often the first point of contact for individuals experiencing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, placing staff in a unique position to recognise and respond appropriately to those at risk.

Together, these developments highlight the dual importance of safety in emergency departments: protecting staff working under pressure while also ensuring that patients, particularly those who are most vulnerable, receive appropriate, person-centred care.

Dr Rosa McNamara, Clinical Lead, RCSI HSE National Clinical Programme for Emergency Medicine, said: “Emergency medicine teams deliver vital care in highly pressurised and unpredictable environments. Ensuring that emergency departments are safe spaces for staff is essential to protecting their wellbeing and maintaining high-quality patient care. Today is an opportunity to recognise the dedication of frontline teams and reinforce the importance of safety and support for all.”

Emergency Medicine Day also aims to raise awareness of the specialty and its critical role within the wider health system, including the support of patients affected by domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

The RCSI HSE National Clinical Programme for Emergency Medicine is encouraging hospitals and healthcare organisations to mark the day by using incident reporting data to guide improvement for front-line staff in EDs and is inviting colleagues, partners and the public to recognise and support frontline emergency medicine teams.