A LYELL McEwin Hospital nurse has chosen not to press charges against an escaped mental health patient who assaulted her outside the health centre last week.
SA Health has launched an investigation into the incident which occurred last Wednesday in the hospital’s carpark in the middle of the day.
Northern Adelaide Local Health Network acting executive director of nursing and midwifery Andrew McGill said the nurse was uninjured during the attack.
“We had one of our valued nurses arrive for work at around 12.30pm,” he said.
“At around the same time, unfortunately, we had one of our mental health clients abscond from one of our mental health units on site at the same time the nurse was arriving.
“The patient in question managed to get out of the unit and arrived at the Mark Road carpark… at the same time the nurse was arriving and unfortunately was harassed by the patient.
“There was a short scuffle. The staff member fortunately wasn’t injured, but the patient did try and grab her ID badge and just try and get some attention from her.”
Mr McGill added the victim then called out for help and staff, including security guards, came to apprehend the patient.
The patient managed to escape further down Mark Road, before police were called to apprehend and take the patient back to the hospital within five minutes.
Mr McGill said the patient was detained under the Mental Health Act to receive “appropriate treatment”.
“Part of normal process is to alert SAPOL and provide them with identifying factors of what the patient looks like,” he said.
“They were in transit once this occurred and obviously once they were involved in bringing the patient back, then it is about how we support the staff member with accessing SAPOL if need be.”
Mr McGill confirmed security guards were present in the patient’s particular mental health unit, but were away from the front door at the time.
“There are times when we need security present, but that is based on a clinical need and that’s determined at the time,” he said.
“In this particular time there was security guards present, hence why they were quick in moving through the unit, out of the unit, to actually find the patient.
“We are certainly looking into reasons why that happened in the first place.”
The attack comes after a nurse was stabbed in the neck outside the hospital in June last year.