SYDNEY — Police restrained a 51-year-old patient after he allegedly assaulted several nurses, a security guard, an officer and a member of the public during a Saturday night melee at Sydney's Prince of Wales hospital, according to police. Officers shot the man with a Taser and placed him under arrest before moving him to a secure facility within the hospital.

The patient seriously injured a nurse's leg before assaulting two other nurses and a security guard, police said. He also allegedly assaulted a 26-year-old woman with a garbage bin as she tried to protect a nearby patient, and assaulted an officer who attempted to speak to him.

The injured nurse was admitted to the hospital for further treatment. An officer, hospital staff and a member of the public were treated at the scene but did not require further medical care.

The New South Wales Nurses and Midwives' Association said the incident showed the need for improved security and safety measures in emergency departments. "We are deeply alarmed by the alleged attack on several nurses at Prince of Wales hospital overnight," the association's general secretary, Michael Whaites, said.

"With higher acuity and higher volumes of unwell patients, rates of violence and aggression in our hospitals are escalating and more must be done to make hospitals safer for staff and patients," Whaites said.

A report by the association found that 88% of respondents had experienced violence in the previous year. The association said it would work with those impacted, management and SafeWork NSW to identify areas for improvement in the aftermath of the incident.