Stabbing security review
frustrated at the lack of information released by officials about the case.
Yesterday, in response to a series of questions from The Press, Canterbury District Health Board chief executive Dr Peter Bramley said he could confirm that the man accused of murder was a patient of the board's specialist mental health service at Hillmorton who ‘‘had been on community leave''.
Bramley said a full review of the man's care at Hillmorton Hospital was under way following what was deemed a ‘‘serious adverse event''.
‘‘I can assure the public that if there are recommendations for changes to be made as a result of our own, or any external review, these will be actioned.''
Bramley said his thoughts were with Waka's family and friends at ‘‘this very sad time''.
He declined to comment further, citing ongoing court proceedings.
Bramley's statement did not say why the accused was granted community leave, what conditions he was subject to, or when he was due back.
A Hillmorton Hospital staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said staff were shocked and saddened by Waka's death. ‘‘I didn't want to believe it.''
She said conditions at the specialist mental health facility had become increasingly ‘‘dangerous'' as a result of a staffing crisis, which had been exacerbated by Covid-19.
When staff members were off sick, others were asked to work double shifts, and many were working 60 hours a week to fill gaps.
The health board confirmed there had been two serious assaults on staff members by a patient in a secure unit at the hospital on June 3 and May 19. The Press understands the victims were nurses. Their injuries included concussion and broken ribs.
The Hillmorton staff member said it was ‘‘unusual for people on that ward to go on leave''.
The woman said many staff at the unit had fewer than five years' experience working in mental health, and she felt their concerns about safety had not been taken seriously by management.
The woman said there needed to be an inquiry into how Hillmorton Hospital was being managed.
In February, there were 50 staff vacancies across Hillmorton Hospital, of which 30 were nursing, four medical and 16 allied health.
High staff turnover and the Covid-19 response had resulted in a reduction in the number of beds across the district health board's specialist mental health services, specialist mental health services general
manager Greg Hamilton said in March.
Waka moved to New Zealand from Fiji in 2018 for a better life, and she worked at a retirement village in Ilam. She was a well-respected member of Christchurch's Moraia Fijian Parish, where she sang in the choir.
She and her husband had applied for New Zealand residency.
They lived at their Cheyenne St home with their 11-year-old son, who witnessed the aftermath of Saturday's stabbing and is traumatised by what he saw.
Waka's body will be flown back to Fiji today, and her funeral will be held there on Saturday.
Canterbury district commander Superintendent John Price previously described the ‘‘senseless'' attack as ‘‘horrific, traumatic and random''.
At a court hearing on Monday, the accused was remanded in custody until his next appearance in the High Court on July 15.
The judge asked for a report under Section 38 of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003 to assess the man's fitness to stand trial.