Patient on restraining order attacks non-clinical worker at regional South Australian hospital

A cleaner was left begging for his life at the Port Pirie Hospital as he was attacked in chaotic scenes in front of horrified colleagues.

A male cleaner was begging for his life as he was being punched in the head and dragged down a hallway by a berserk woman being held in hospital on a mental health restraining order.

Horrified staff at Port Pirie Health Service called an emergency Code Black and alerted police about the terrifying attack about 1am on Sunday.

It is understood the victim was a cleaner without training in how to manage such a volatile situation, and at one stage was pleading for his life as police and security rushed to restrain the violent woman.

It is the latest in a series of attacks at regional hospitals, partly blamed on a rise in volatile mental health cases.

Yorke and Northern Local Health Network chief executive Roger Kirchner released a statement following questions from The Advertiser.

It says appropriate measures were taken to ensure the safety of those involved when a patient who had been detained under the Mental Health Act was abusive towards a non-clinical employee.

“There was an immediate response from the Medical, Nursing and After-Hours Coordinator, security and SAPOL,” the statement said.

“Violence against healthcare workers is unacceptable and the staff member is being supported by the team at Port Pirie Regional Health Service.

“Following the incident, the affected staff member and associated team members were debriefed, and the incident was logged on the Safety Learning System (SLS).

“The worker has returned to work.”

Port Pirie Health Service is not an inpatient mental health facility, however people with mental health issues may be held there while waiting for transfer.

SA Police confirmed they attended the incident and that “no arrests have been made at this time”.

Health Minister Chris Picton said: “Any person who would attack our hard-working hospital workers is despicable and should face the full force of the law. We have significantly boosted security for staff by adding 24/7 security guards now at eight regional hospitals including Port Pirie.”

Health Minister Chris Picton said violence against hospital staff was never acceptable. Picture: Brenton Edwards

The incident happened at Port Pirie Regional Health Service. Picture: Dean Martin

The attack comes as a parliamentary committee into regional health services has heard chilling evidence about attacks and a lack of safe rooms to retreat to in regional facilities.

These include a nurse recounting how she fought off a psychotic woman armed with two knives, defending herself with a chair during a frenzied attack at Yorketown Hospital last November.

She and a colleague took refuge in a room for 45 minutes waiting for help while hoping their patients were not being stabbed.

“Times have changed,” the nurse told the committee. “The mental health side of things is out of control and we need to make nurses safe.”

Another nurse told how a man known to police for violence repeatedly tried to break into Burra Hospital as two nurses tried to keep him out, with no secure room to retreat to and nine aged care residents present.

She also told the committee nurses at Burra sometimes have to do the cleaning: “We are running in and out of our emergency room, stripping beds, sterilising beds, getting rid of dirty whatever, cleaning the bloodstains off the floor – whatever.”

Originally published as Patient on restraining order attacks non-clinical worker at regional South Australian hospital