A woman who waited more than eight hours in a hospital emergency department says security officers appeared powerless to stop a man intimidating other patients.

The woman, who asked not to be named, arrived at the Palmerston North Hospital ED about 3pm on 28 July.

The man was escorted in by police about 11pm, who then left the scene, she said. The man behaved poorly, getting in people's faces, vaping, crashing into a wall and writhing on the ground, she said.

The man appeared to have come to the emergency department because of a sore shoulder, she said.

"He was just being really weird and intimidating, and walking up to people and staring at them in the eyes, then walking on to the next person.

"There were a number of older people and people with little babies in there, and he didn't seem to care about that," she said.

He was physically intimidating due to his size, she added.

"Everyone was just avoiding this guy's gaze, really, like you would if you had a scary dog."

The woman said two or three security officers were keeping an eye on the man, but were not intervening.

At present they can only calm situations without using force.

"He just felt like someone who at any point could give someone a big whack on the head. He was also really out of it," the woman told RNZ.

"It was just really surprising to me that anyone like that was allowed to stay in that space and they weren't asked to leave."

The man was there for about 30 minutes before he went to the department desk and demanded to be seen. Despite many others having waited for hours, the man was attended to by medical staff.

"I really felt for the medical team, because it was like, 'let's just get this guy out of the way, this volatile person, and let's just treat him'.

"But that just creates this sort of feeling that you come in, you behave terribly, you're intimidating, and then you get looked after. Meanwhile, there are other people who are patiently waiting."

The woman said she would like to see hospital security given more power to remove people from hospital property when they behave as the man did.

RNZ has previously reported calls for beefed up powers for security officers amid growing instances of violence and intimidation at hospitals, although some in the health sector say such moves could be problematic.

The Post reported this week that Heath NZ is planning on spending up to $100 million on improved security in hospitals.

Poor behaviour not tolerated - Health NZ

RNZ contacted Health NZ about the incident. Included in our questions was what should happen in such situations, was this incident reported by staff and had officials considered giving hospital security more powers.

Health NZ's interim group director of operations for MidCentral, Katherine Fraser-Chapple, said patient safety was the organisation's highest priority.

"We want everyone who attends Palmerston North Hospital to feel safe and supported while receiving care," she said.

"We do not tolerate behaviour that causes distress, intimidation or risk to patients, visitors, or staff.

"Health New Zealand has processes in place to manage disruptive or concerning behaviour, including support from security staff and clinical teams trained in calming and de-escalation techniques."

Fraser-Chapple said where appropriate, security staff would work alongside police "to help maintain a safe environment for everyone in our care".

Patients who felt unsafe could tell staff or security officers so appropriate action could be taken.