Health staff at 'serious risk'

Te Whetu Tawera. Photo / Doug Sherring

A whistleblower claims staff and patients at one of New Zealand's busiest mental health units are at "serious risk of harm".

Mental health nurse Lauren Meraw quit Auckland City Hospital's Te Whetu Tawera centre claiming it was too dangerous to work there.

Meraw said there was violent abuse of staff and patients because management didn't like isolating people in the grip of a psychotic episode.

She put her concerns in a letter to the Government, health bosses and the Public Service Association union.

Te Whetu Tawera has been struggling to emerge from a difficult period in which it faced criticism over the handling of patients who took their lives or the life of another.

Matthew Ahlquist was released into the community against advice of frontline staff and later killed Colin Moyle.

The unit was also criticised after patient Shane Fisher took his life while on day release.

Health bosses have denied many of the claims - although the Herald on Sunday has been told many staff privately support Meraw.

But her allegations have exposed a 25 per cent shortfall in mental health nurses at the unit and the use of security guards to support staff under pressure.

Meraw said on most shifts patients threatened to kill her, made sexual remarks and comments "that would not be tolerated in any other workplace".

She had been "scratched, pushed, spat at and kicked" by patients and had seen colleagues "strangled, punched, kicked and bitten".

Meraw said staff were under pressure to reduce "seclusion" rates - the number of patients who are isolated. She said patients who assaulted staff were not secluded, despite nurses urging medical staff to do so.

Hospital bosses dismissed the concerns. In an email to staff on Friday, mental health director Dr Clive Bensemann warned of "unwarranted" criticism in today's story.

He told the Herald on Sunday Meraw was an "inexperienced" worker with a North American background of mental health care that was less effective and used more restrictive practices.

"We don't accept the assertions made here."

Bensemann said nursing vacancies at the unit had been in the "20s" and there were currently 18.5.

Mental health nursing director Anna Schofield said specially-trained security guards were occasionally called on to assist staff and every case of abuse was documented.

A spokesman for Associate Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman said Meraw's complaints were being looked into.

A PSA spokeswoman said the union would talk to members at Te Whetu Tawera.