Deepening Staffing Crisis in Hospital Forensic Acute Service Since Hussein Homicide
The Wigram examines the deepening staffing crisis in Hilmorton Hospital’s Acute Forensic Service and Te Whatu Ora's refusal to release details relating to the Laisa Waka Homicide
A Staffing Crisis in the City’s Acute Forensic Service
Thirteen staff members have now left Hilmorton Hospital’s Acute Forensic Service (Te Whare Manaaki) in the space of 10 months. TWM’s deepening staffing crisis has set in since June 2022, when former patient Zakariye Mohamed Hussein murdered Laisa Waka Tunidau in Sockburn. Hussein had been allowed to go out unaccompanied and, while in a delusional state, he attacked Tunidau in a sustained assault with a knife.
Pictured: Te Whatu Ora Canterbury
Te Whatu Ora Health NZ says that while TWM “was experiencing an overall shortage of staff in June 2022 the ward was fully staffed at the time” and “with 8 staff for 12 patients.”
On the day of the murder, the acute ward was operating two shifts. “6 full time and 2 part-time staff were on the morning shift with average of 12 years’ experience. 7 full time and 1 part-time staff were on the afternoon shift with average of 8 years’ experience”. The “correct numbers for afternoon (D shift) of 25/6 were: - 4 Registered nurses 2 Enrolled nurses 2 Health care assistance”.
However, since June 2022, six members of the acute service have resigned and another 7 have moved into another area, says Te Whatu Ora Health NZ. Of a total of 49 fulltime and part-time positions, TWM has 16 job vacancies, equating to about one-third of the TWM ward positions.
TWM is still down three beds. “Te Whare Manaaki currently has 12 beds available which is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future,” says Te Whatu Ora Health NZ, signalling the staffing shortage is not going to end any time soon.
Te Whatu Ora Refuses to Release Details Relating to the Laisa Waka Homicide
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