Brandon Chesney charged with impersonating a mental health nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital
This 22-year-old man has been charged with impersonating a mental health nurse to access restricted areas at the RAH.
Police & Courts
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A man has been charged with impersonating a mental health nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, prompting an urgent SA Health investigation into how the 22-year-old was allegedly able to access restricted areas at the RAH.
Newton man Brandon Chesney was arrested on June 20 by SA Police and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on August 30 to face multiple charges, including non-residential serious criminal trespass, theft, and possessing prohibited material.
“Police will allege that the man had obtained identification and accessed restricted areas of the Royal Adelaide Hospital,’’ SAPOL said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the Health Department said that as “soon as we became aware an unauthorised person was in a restricted area of the hospital, we immediately alerted security and senior personnel and reported the matter to police’’.
“An internal review process has been undertaken and we are assisting SA Police with their investigation,’’ the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson was unable to provide detail on how long police allege Mr Chesney had access to restricted areas of the RAH, but it is believed they will allege it was much as six or eight weeks.
The spokesperson also declined to comment on whether any mental health patients interacting with Mr Chesney had been contacted and advised on the alleged security breach. Police allege Mr Chesney may also have had access to confidential medical records.
Health Minister Chris Picton said that “hospital staff treated this matter extremely seriously and are working with SA Police as part of their criminal investigation’’.
“I hope that this matter is pursued to the full extent of the law through the court process,’’ Mr Picton said.
At Mr Chesney’s Newton home, a woman who declined to be identified, confirmed the arrest and said the house had been raided by police and he would fight the charges. Mr Chesney was in the house but declined to speak to The Advertiser.
“He goes into help with mental health patients, as part of his job as a disability support worker,’’ the woman said. “He had finished his shift and went to speak to say hello to somebody who he’s befriended, not knowing at the time that he’s not allowed to be there if he’s not actively working.’’
The woman confirmed Mr Chesney was not qualified as a nurse but was a “support worker’’. The register of practitioners held by the Australian Heath Practitioner Regulation Agency does not list a Brandon Chesney.
Mr Chesney started a company called Hand in Hand Disability in September last year and his LinkedIn profile also lists him as a disability support worker “where his primary role is to provide care and assistance to people with disabilities, enabling them to live independently and improve their quality of life’’.
It also lists he is studying a Bachelor degree in counselling at Torrens University.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation SA chief executive Elizabeth Dabars said it was “absolutely essential that appropriately qualified and skilled people are providing such important services’’.
“This would certainly warrant further investigation and any measures that could be taken to avoid it from occurring,’’ Ms Dabars said.
In 2016, Jennifer Anne Reed received a four year prison term for faking nursing qualifications to work in a variety of aged care homes.
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