Bed shortage led to hospital ‘attack’
A pensioner was allegedly assaulted at Wishaw’s hospital by a younger patient admitted to the same ward due to a lack of beds elsewhere.
The incident is said to have taken place around midnight in a ward of the hospital in late August.
A hospital source told the Wishaw Press that the alleged assailant has substance addiction problems and was brought into the ward because there were no suitable beds elsewhere in the hospital.
According to the source, police were called to attend after the woman lunged at an elderly patient and hit her several times as she lay in bed.
The alleged victim, who is believed to be in her seventies, was heard shouting for help.
It’s understood she only sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Several nurses who were on duty rushed to help the elderly patient and attempted to restrain her attacker, according to the source.
The alleged assailant was described as being agitated before the incident and after the attack was given medication to help calm her down.
They added that it wasn’t the first time that a patient with addiction or substance abuse issues had to be placed in a ward not suited to their needs.
Police Scotland have confirmed that a 48-yearold woman from Motherwell has been charged in connection with the disturbance.
The woman faces a number of assault charges, a breach of the peace charge, and two charges of being in possession of an offensive weapon.
NHS Lanarkshire admitted that police had been in attendance following the incident and the matter was being investigated but gave no details of the patients involved.
Stephen Peebles, site director of University Hospital Wishaw, said: “As this is a live police investigation, we are not in a position to comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality.”