Hutt Hospital workers ‘frequently face violence’
A nurse was allegedly punched and seriously concussed by a violent patient on Boxing Day.
More details of two serious alleged assaults on Hutt Hospital staff have emerged, a source saying it was the worst – but certain not the only – assault in the past year.
The security staffer said hospital workers frequently confronted violence and were under trained and illequipped to manage aggressive mental health patients, gang members and family.
‘‘It’s not an easy job, we put ourselves on the frontline.’’
On Boxing Day, four staff were assaulted in two incidents. A nurse took ‘‘serious punches’’ from a psychotic patient, causing the concussion, and another nurse who intervened was punched, the staffer said.
‘‘We weren’t asked [to attend] until the end of the incident, instead of the start of the incident when it should have been escalated.’’
A paramedic was also assaulted in the ambulance bay by another patient and a nurse who intervened was punched, he said.
Three of the four staffers involved remained off-duty on Monday.
The security staffer said patients were regularly restrained, and at least one staffer was shoved each week.
In the past few weeks, there had been occasions where lone security orderlies had to confront aggressive gang members unwilling to remove their patches and colours – as per district health board policy.
‘‘We feel we haven’t been trained appropriately to deal with half these incidents. We’ve been trained in light restraints . . . which isn’t always effective in terms of psychotic patients, patients who are on substances or angry patients.’’
The staffer said Hutt Hospital rostered on five security orderlies at a time – out of a total eight fulltime, and 10 part-time and casual staff – providing security to a large hospital, its mental health unit and emergency department.
Incident reports were filed ‘‘left, right and centre’’, the staffer said, yet nothing was done.
Hutt Valley District Health Board on Monday acknowledged the assaults, saying: ‘‘We have orderly security present in the hospital. Every incident is dealt with as it occurs, and appropriate action is urgently taken.’’
The DHB did not respond to requests for comment yesterday, referring questions to the Official Information Act process.
Police have confirmed a 27-yearold Lower Hutt woman was being transported by ambulance for a mental health assessment when they were alerted to the incident at 8.20pm on December 26.
She was arrested on hospital grounds, charged with assault, and will appear in Hutt Valley District Court tomorrow.