Victim of hospital attack named

The mental patient who died after being assaulted by a man in a Rotorua Hospital psychiatric ward last week was Moira Albert, 51, of Rotorua.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said Ms Albert was assaulted by the man in the in-patient unit of the Rotorua Lakes District Health Unit on Thursday afternoon.

She was taken to the intensive care unit and placed on life support but died that day.

A 41-year-old Rotorua man was charged with murder and appeared in court on Friday.

The Lakes District Health Board's acting general manager of clinical services, Cathy Taylor, said staff had begun an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

"The internal investigation under way is in line with Lakes District Health Board policy for investigating incidents of a serious nature."

The thoughts of staff were with "both the families during these difficult times", Ms Taylor said.

- NZPA