The woman was in Hutt Hospital, recovering from a leg amputation. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER
A woman recovering from a leg amputation in Hutt Hospital was repeatedly harassed by a male patient who touched her while she slept and watched while she was being washed.
The Health and Disability Commission says the hospital failed to keep her safe during her 2022 stay.
The hospital took a week to assign someone to watch the male patient, 11 days to give the woman a security guard, and did not remove the man from the ward.
The woman, known as Mrs B, was being cared for in a room with other women but in a mixed gender ward, deputy commissioner Carolyn Cooper said in her report released on Monday.
Over the course of her stay, the confused man gave her "unwanted attention".
That included "touching her when she was sleeping, watching her as she was being washed or changed, making inappropriate sexual comments, and going through her belongings", the report said.
She was so badly impacted, her family discharged her early to finish her recovery at home and she became frightened to return to hospital.
The harassment began soon after the woman was admitted following her amputation.
For the first three days, the hospital used its confused patient protocols to manage the man - including medication, an alarm bracelet, regular checks and using nurses to help redirect him.
His behaviour escalated and a psychiatrist was consulted.
Health NZ told the commission it was unable to move the man from the ward to a place where his behaviour could managed better because of "resourcing constraints".
On the eighth day of the woman's stay, staff made an incident report and healthcare assistants were assigned to watch the man around the clock.
But the next day there was a "further incident" when the man entered the woman's room.
She was offered a private room but declined because she felt safer in a shared room, saying it took 15 or 20 minutes for her call bell to be answered.
The family complained and met with staff to discuss safety measures.
It was not until another incident on day 11 that a security guard was posted outside the woman's room and she was moved to a bed further from the door.
Her family told the commission the guard did not initially realise he was there to stop the male patient entering the room.
They decided to take her home early and her son complained to the commission.
She had post traumatic stress disorder as a result of her experience.
Deputy commissioner Carolyn Cooper. Photo: Supplied
Hospital criticised
Deputy commissioner Carolyn Cooper said the hospital did not provide the woman with the safe environment she was entitled to.
Health NZ had taken steps to address the behaviour of the man towards her but they were not effective - and incidents continued until she was discharged, Cooper's report said.
The report noted the hospital's comments that it could not move the man because of "resourcing constraints".
"Despite this, I have concerns that the male patient remained in the ward when it was clear that his behaviour was escalating and could not be managed adequately by the measures taken to minimise the risk of harm to Mrs B," she said.
The hospital also under-reported the number of incidents, the report said.
Health NZ responds
Heath NZ told the commission it took reasonable actions to provide appropriate care to the woman.
But it accepted that it had ultimately failed to provide her with a safe environment.
"Health NZ apologised for this and for the emotional distress this caused," it said.
The hospital had considered moving the man to another ward but decided not to because of the complexity of patients on that ward and that they may have increased the confusion the man was experiencing.
It had made a series of changes since the woman's stay.
It was increasing staff education, including for security guards, orderlies and minders on the risks of sexually inappropriate behaviour.
The hospital was looking into same-gender bays in wards to "enhance patient dignity, privacy and safety" and changing wards to include low-stimulation spaces for patients who are confused or agitated.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
