Distressed Northern Beaches Hospital staff offered counselling after shock death of man
Psychologists are being made available to staff or visitors who witnessed the shocking death of a patient in the reception area of Northern Beaches Hospital yesterday.
Manly
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Distressed staff and visitors are being offered specialist support following the “upsetting” death of a patient in the reception area of Northern Beaches Hospital yesterday.
Police are investigating the death of the man believed to be in his 70s.
It is understood that the man died in a public area of the hospital at around lunchtime on Tuesday.
Acting Detective Inspector Alan Walsh said Northern Beaches Police Local Area Command was preparing a report for the coroner.
He said the death was not being treated as suspicious.
A staff member said the incident happened during the busy lunchtime period and “lots of people were traumatised”.
It is believed that the man was not a mental health patient but an oncology patient and he had been in the hospital for around 90 minutes before the incident.
In a letter to staff CEO Andrew Newton thanked staff and volunteers for their “commendable efforts” following the man’s death on Tuesday.
“It is a very sad matter and our thoughts are with the man’s family during this time,” he wrote.
“Of course, this incident was extremely upsetting for staff and visitors.
“I want to assure you that we will provide you with support during the coming weeks.”
He added that social work and specialist psychologists would be made available to anyone “who is distressed”.
A staff support session was held at 12pm today and individual sessions were made available during the afternoon.
Yesterday security staff were stopping everyone at the entrance to the hospital which was cordoned off until early evening while police investigations were underway.
There were at least five police cars at the hospital run by private operator Healthscope.
Yesterday Northern Beaches Hospital said it could not comment on the incident at this stage.
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