Knife-wielding patient forces two nurses to hide in hospital safe room

A patient grabbed two knives and forced nurses to flee to a “safe room” in an incident at an SA hospital.

Two terrified nurses were forced to fight for their lives with a chair then barricade themselves in a “safe room” after a berserk female patient grabbed two knives and threatened them.

It took police 45 minutes to respond to the attack at Yorketown Hospital on Friday night as the patient smashed property, tormenting the nurses and other patients.

It is understood the woman took the knives from an unsecured staff-only area.

The nurses fled to a nurses’ station and locked themselves in, while the patient roamed the hospital.

No-one was physically hurt but the nurses are understood to be traumatised.

It is understood the patient was transferred to Wallaroo Hospital, which introduced 24/7 security guards last year.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation SA branch officials have inspected the facility and are advocating for swipe card entry for staff-only areas.

“This comes after two nurses were chased by a patient wielding two knives in a terrifying incident at Yorketown Hospital at the weekend,” the union states.

“The nurses were forced to barricade themselves in the nurses’ stations — a designated ‘safe zone’ – for up to 45 minutes until local police finally arrived.”

The incident follows reports of physical and verbal aggression at Mount Barker Hospital which prompted a similar workplace inspection last week, amid a push for the hospital to have 24/7 security guards.

SA Health officials said the Yorketown incident “escalated very, very quickly” and “could have ended up a lot worse.”

One of the nurses sent a text to radio FIVEAA morning host Matthew Pantelis which he read on air.

In part it said: “The patient had full access to all areas, including patients. Our patients were extremely alarmed at what they could hear going on outside their rooms.

“We eventually got to a safe room, but only after having to use a chair to defend against someone with intent to harm staff with two knives.

“This person had access to those knives while wandering about the hospital destroying property. Our police are busy and serve our community well, but on the night in question, no local police were on duty.”

The nurse said requests for better security including swipe cards have been ignored.

“While we were locked in there, we had to endure the perpetrator smashing on the windows and door looking to torment us and the patients until police arrived,” her text reads.

“I’ve said at work on multiple occasions prior to this traumatic event, it will take someone to be killed before they do anything. We weren’t killed, but we had to fight to defend our lives, which is totally unacceptable.”

ANMF state secretary Elizabeth Dabars is pushing for the implementation of a 10-point plan to increase security for nursing staff, agreed to by the state government.

A SAPOL statement says police were called to the Yorketown Hospital at 12.29am on Saturday November 2 in relation to a patient who was in possession of a knife.

“An officer was recalled from both Stansbury and Minlaton stations to attend the scene, with the first officer arriving on scene at 1.13am. The hospital did not have a security guard.

“No staff or other patients at the hospital were injured.

“The suspect, a 23-year-old Edithburgh woman was arrested and charged with assaulting a prescribed emergency worker, carry offensive weapon and property damage.

“She was bailed to appear in Maitland Magistrates Court on February 4 2025.”