Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘Someone will get killed if hospital issues not fixed’
Under-pressure staff ‘facing daily violent assaults by patients’ Call for top bosses to provide better support for employees
A WHISTLEBLOWER has warned “someone is going to get killed” if “serious issues” at a hospital are not dealt with by management.
The well-placed insider at Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Co Antrim spoke of “rampant” violent assaults on staff by patients and a “dangerous work environment”.
The source blamed a lack of support for employees from senior Belfast Trust bosses.
The hospital, just outside Antrim town, provides inpatient, assessment and treatment facilities for people with severe learning disabilities and mental health issues, forensic needs or challenging behaviour.
Over the past year several staff have been suspended over a variety of safeguarding issues.
The source, who did not want to be named, has worked at the hospital, which is run by the Trust, for several years as a nursing assistant.
Six other employees the Mirror spoke to under the condition they remain anonymous corroborated the whistleblower’s account.
They said: “Someone is going to get killed in that place.
“Morale is worse than it has ever been in all the years I’ve worked there. Even if you witness an incident of any sort, regardless of your involvement, you will be suspended.
“Everyone is walking around with that over their head. Staff are being violently assaulted on a day-to-day basis and nothing is being done. It can’t go on. Someone will end up being killed.”
Another source, who works in one ward at the hospital, said it “isn’t small bites and cuts and bruises we’re talking about”.
They added: “It’s broken bones and severe trauma that I doubt some staff will ever really get over.
“When dealing with vulnerable people, those with severe learning difficulties and such, you expect the odd slap and things like that – but not this.
“Massive chunks of hair pulled out, multiple cases of broken bones and severe bites requiring stitches - I do not see a future for Muckamore.” Another insider, who has retired in recent years but still works occasionally at the facility, said: “This is leaving staff with the feeling they have to go into work each day thinking they might get severely hurt and nothing will ever be done to prevent it happening
YESTERDAY
again. Muckamore is in a crisis – there’s more agency staff now, following different protocols, than there has ever been. More support for staff is what’s needed but no one seems to be listening. Patients and staff are being failed on a massive scale.”
Another senior official at Muckamore has witnessed “horrifying and emotionally traumatic” incidents on staff, including broken noses, legs, severe cuts and psychological trauma.
They added: “At the end of the day, and I am not exaggerating here, I could see someone like a staff member taking their own life due the current environment at Muckamore.”
When asked about the allegations the Belfast Trust acknowledged there are issues at the hospital.
They said: “Belfast Trust can confirm a number of staff are currently placed on precautionary suspension following a number of safeguarding investigations.
“The Trust has a number of mechanisms available to provide staff with support. These include Trust occupational health services, staffcare services and an independent counselling support for learning disability staff.”