Investigation launched at Hawke’s Bay Hospital after patient strangles healthcare worker

An investigation has been launched by Te Whatu Ora after a patient was seen strangling a healthcare worker at Hawke’s Bay Hospital.

The attack was witnessed in the general medical ward at the hospital on September 13 at about 5pm.

A witness who contacted Hawke’s Bay Today after the attack said the ward appeared to be understaffed and lacking security at the time, though Health NZ Te Whatu Ora has denied this and says security arrived in a “timely manner”.

The Hawke’s Bay Te Matau a Māui group director of operations David Warrington on Thursday confirmed the attack.

“Te Whatu Ora can confirm that an incident occurred on a ward at Hawke’s Bay Hospital on Friday, September 13 involving a patient and a staff member.”

An investigation has been launched at Hawke's Bay Hospital, Hastings. Photo / Warren Buckland

“Security staff intervened in a timely manner and the situation was swiftly de-escalated.”

He said patient and staff safety was Te Whatu Ora’s highest priority, and all staff had access to de-escalation training.

Health NZ Te Whatu Ora did not address questions about how badly hurt the healthcare worker was, or if they had been able to return to work since.

“Any incident where a healthcare worker comes to harm is fully investigated to understand the circumstances, and support is offered to those involved,” Warrington said.

“This process is already under way for this incident, and we are unable to release specific information to protect the privacy of both the staff member and patient.”

Warrington said the ward was fully staffed at the time of the incident, and had no staffing deficit.

In a response to a claim that the patient should have been in another part of the hospital at the time, Warrington said:

“It is not uncommon for patients from other areas of the hospital to sometimes require treatment or care on another ward in order to meet their specific needs.”

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.