Hospital patients caught using drugs

More than 1000 patients and visitors have smuggled illicit drugs into New Zealand hospitals in recent years, with nurses warning increasing drug abuse on wards is placing them in danger.

More than a dozen patients have been caught using meth while in hospital in the past six years, while others were busted for abusing cocaine, glue and air freshener, figures released by district health boards under the Official Information Act reveal.

One nurse suffered a head injury during their first day on the job as they struggled to deal with an angry, drug-fuelled patient, an industry representative said.

‘‘It exacerbates an already difficult job,’’ said Laura Williams, a union organiser with the Public Service Association, which represents some nurses.

‘‘They don’t have the facilities to cope with patients experiencing drug dependency, and assaults have almost become an unspoken part of the job.’’

Toni, who works as a nurse in an acute mental health ward, said she and her colleagues were frightened by the way patients behaved when using drugs.

‘‘It is becoming more and more common and it affects the way we do things,’’ she said. ‘‘It can be very scary working with a patient in this state.’’

‘‘These drugs are illegal and the people are law-breaking and can be dangerous but we have to deal with it.’’

Toni asked that her surname not be used, to avoid identifying her place of work.

Not all those caught using drugs were addicts - an increasing number of medicinal cannabis users are taking their medicine to hospital, with staff often turning a blind eye.

Williams said cannabis wasn’t really an issue.

‘‘You don’t find that many people assaultive from just using weed,’’ she said. ‘‘The most common problem drugs are synthetic cannabis and meth.’’

In a different case, Stuff understands a terminal cancer patient was caught self-medicating using meth because it was the only treatment that relieved their pain.

Meth use has caused headaches for district health boards with a number having to decontaminate facilities to protect other patients.

Waikato DHB had to clean a room in the hospital’s emergency department in 2016 after a patient was busted using meth, while Lakes DHB reported spending $4736 on cleaning following a similar incident.

A total of 1043 incidents of illicit drug use were recorded between January 2011 and June 2017.

The actual number is likely higher, as Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Wairarapa DHBs declined to provide data.

Most of those offences – 613 – involved cannabis, while other patients chose a more exotic route to getting high.

Counties Manukau DHB reported six people were caught abusing glue, while Whanganui DHB reported several instances of patients abusing air freshener.

One Wellington patient was caught using cocaine.

DHBs reported a wide range of prescription drugs were being abused, including ritalin, sevredol, ibuprofen, and benzodazipines.

Gloria Johnson, acting chief executive for Counties Manukau DHB, said there was zero tolerance for drug abuse on hospital grounds.

‘‘Possession and consumption of illicit drugs and/or alcohol by patients or visitors is not permitted on our premises, and where this is suspected or observed staff will respond,’’ she said.

Johnson added the use of illicit drugs by employees was a serious misconduct that would result in disciplinary processes.

Hutt Valley DHB advises its staff to ‘‘engage with the patient and ask them to hand over the substance’’ if they are caught using drugs.

However they are not allowed to search patients without their consent. Staff were instructed to place any illicit substances in a locked cupboard, then contact police for disposal.

Police were called to drug incidents on DHB premises at least 90 times between January 2011 and June 2017.