By Matthew Littlewood of 
Wakari Hospital. Photo: RNZ / Lydia Anderson
Severe assaults resulting in a large number of injuries have left staff in a Dunedin Hospital ward fearing for their safety, a complaint to WorkSafe alleges.
Documents released under the Official Information Act show staff were notified late last year of a plan to remove embedded security from some of the more problematic wards, including ward 10A, at Wakari Hospital.
This prompted a staff member at the hospital to escalate their concerns to WorkSafe, "due to a large number of staff injuries and the severe nature of assaults on staff".
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora told the Otago Daily Times yesterday it decided not to go ahead with the plan to remove embedded security from ward 10A.
In the complaint to WorkSafe, the staff member said the complexity of ward 10A's patient mix, along with the poor ward layout and condition had created "an unsafe working environment".
The ward houses people with forensic histories and with intellectual disabilities and/or mental health issues, "all of whom when escalated pose a serious risk to others", the staff member said.
"This environment requires a unique approach, and embedded security is something that is needed to keep people safe, especially up until the ward renovation is completed and is returned to being a facility that is fit for purpose.
"A recent experience highlighting the importance of having embedded security immediately on hand was when a patient physically escalated and assaulted staff without any early warning signs.
"One staff member was punched; the other two staff members were unable to successfully carry out a restraint."
In this instance, the staff member said the embedded security was easily accessible and arrived very quickly to assist with restraining the patient.
"If security had not been on hand, more assaults and greater harm would have resulted."
Staff said the patient population was "often impulsive, unpredictable and often don't show early warning signs", meaning assaults could happen without warning.
"These incidents happen extremely fast, and response time is critical.
"Having security available in an immediate vicinity is extremely important to lessen the risks of potential harm and injury."
External security took significant time to arrive, often well after the assaults and harm had occurred, the staff member said.
HNZ Southern group director of operations Hamish Brown said embedded security staff within inpatient wards was a temporary measure and approved on a case-by-case basis.
"This temporary measure was implemented in ward 10A at Wakari Hospital for the safety of staff and patients while recruitment was under way for several staff vacancies.
"Once these vacancies had significantly reduced, and in consultation with clinical staff, we had planned to remove this temporary security measure.
"However, for the continued safety of staff and patients, it was decided to keep this measure in place, and a security staff member remains in the ward. Wakari Hospital on-site security also remains in place to support clinical areas and staff across the site."
A WorkSafe spokesman confirmed a complaint had been escalated.
"Although WorkSafe was notified, police take the lead in investigating and prosecuting acts of violence in hospital settings."
Wakari Hospital has come under the microscope on multiple occasions and has been plagued with issues for several years.
Chief ombudsman Judge Peter Boshier had deemed ward 10A"not fit for purpose" and a "volatile environment" in a 2022 report on an unannounced visit.
The report said he considered the state of the ward to be unacceptable and "compromised patient and staff safety as well as patients' dignity".
*This story originally appeared in the Otago Daily Times.
