NHS Lothian has been fined £32,000 after admitting failings that led to a nurse being attacked by a schizophrenic patient. Magdalene Anderson, a community mental health nurse with 30 years of experience, was assaulted while conducting a home visit in Tranent, East Lothian.
The attacker, a 58-year-old man with a three-decade history of psychiatric illness, jumped Ms Anderson from behind and ripped clumps of hair from her head. She managed to break free and escape. The patient had previously attempted to attack another NHS employee with a blade.
At Haddington Sheriff Court last week, the health board pleaded guilty to two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The first charge was a breach of duty towards employees, and the second was failure to report the incident to the Health and Safety Executive within the required 10 days—instead taking eight months.
Sheriff Peter Braid noted that the principal fault lay with the local departmental manager, who failed to carry out proper risk assessments for both the patient and the community mental health team. Only two of 12 team members had up-to-date training for dealing with violent patients, and the health board had no system for handling emergencies.
Sheriff Braid stated that NHS Lothian's culpability was in failing to audit whether its procedures were being followed. He imposed a total fine of £32,000, giving the health board 28 days to pay.
