Home / Health / Alberta Health Violence Soars to 10-Year High
Alberta Health Violence Soars to 10-Year High
25 Sep
Summary
- Violence claims against Alberta health workers hit a decade-high in 2025.
- Unions cite system stress, short-staffing, and long waits for rising violence.
- Hospitals are implementing weapons screening and increasing security staff.
Violence against health-care workers in Alberta has escalated to its highest point in a decade, according to recent data.
In 2025, health-care professionals filed 1,108 workplace violence claims with the Workers' Compensation Board of Alberta. This number significantly surpasses the 672 claims reported in 2016 and shows a continuous upward trend since the initial decrease during the early COVID-19 pandemic.
Unions such as the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) point to an overburdened and understaffed health-care system as a primary driver. They argue that increased patient stress from long wait times for diagnoses and treatments is often misdirected at front-line staff.
While the Alberta government has increased health-care spending, unions contend that this funding doesn't adequately address underlying issues like homelessness and mental health crises, which can lead to increased demand for hospital services and associated violence.
In response to these concerns, several hospitals are enhancing safety measures. The University of Alberta Hospital and the Royal Alexandra Hospital have begun screening visitors and patients for weapons. Alberta Health Services (AHS) has also increased its protective services personnel and funding to bolster security across the province.
Despite these efforts, unions maintain that more robust legislative measures and a cultural shift away from normalizing violence are necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of Alberta's health-care workforce.
