The Nurses Professional Association of Queensland (NPAQ) has expressed its’ concern for members and patients in Townsville University Hospital following another incident.
In the past week we have heard of another death in care, this time an incident between two patients. We were informed that this incident and the many other similar violent incidents are a part of a systemic failure on the part of hospital management and the Board to address these problems.
Staff and patients are not safe, hospital management is failing to act on risks that are reported in their corporate safety system, RISKMAN.
Hospital management initially reported the incident as an assault and got counselling for traumatised staff, they called for the police to investigate and now we are being told that a patient just fell out of bed, this is rubbish.
Staff are afraid for the safety of themselves and patients. The police should be allowed to get on with what they do best. Thefts, assaults, abuse and harm to patients has gone on for too long. We understand that the recent incident is being investigated by the police, but it should not be reviewed on its own, but
rather as a part of a much larger issue.
he NPAQ has written to the Townsville HHS Chief Executive, the Board and the Minister asking for the Chief Executive and the Board to be stood down pending a thorough review. “An independent and thorough review of systemic mismanagement is the only way our members and the Townsville community can feel safe”, NPAQ President Margaret Gilbert said today.
While we understand that the cause of this death is yet to be established by appropriate authorities, hospital management seems to have ignored the matter and gone back to business as usual. Further, NPAQ President, Margaret Gilbert said, “Hospital management seems to have overridden the police investigation and sent people back to work. We also understand that staff have been advised by
THHS management that security is being removed from Medical Unit 5 today, the site of the alleged death”.
Hospital management has stopped listening to staff and community concerns.
We are concerned for patients with security being removed that the hospital may just fill them full of chemicals, chemical straight-jackets. There is no dignity or quality of life for patients if this is what they are doing. “I also understand that staff have been assaulted in the same ward in the past 48 hours,” NPAQ President Margaret Gilbert added, “management must be held to account. In the interest of quality and safety, the Chief Executive and the Board must step down pending a detailed and public review.”
Queensland Health and the Townsville Hospital and Health Service must ensure that the community and staff witness an honest, detailed and impartial review covering all of the failures of THHS management. Management and system failures must stop now.