A nurse in her 50s is said to be fighting for her life after an impatient service user stabbed her at the Royal Oldham Hospital, Greater Manchester, because of the wait
A patient who stabbed a nurse in a hospital’s A&E department was “angry about having to wait”, it is claimed.
The female member of staff at Royal Oldham Hospital was attacked on Saturday night at 11.30pm and is in a critical condition with what are believed to be “life changing” injuries. A man, 37, is being held on suspicion of attempted murder.
It is believed the attack was motivated by the man becoming angry at having to wait to be seen at the hospital’s A&E department, MailOnline reported. A witness said: “It’s terrible – there was a row with a patient. I think they became angry because they had to wait to be seen. It’s scary.”
Another added: “There was a row with a patient. It just got out of hand but it wasn’t a case of the patient going berserk. It was just a disagreement that can happen late at night. It happens all the time but it’s shocking the nurse was attacked.”
Heather Caudle, chief nursing officer at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Oldham Hospital, earlier said: “We are incredibly shocked and saddened by last night’s incident and our focus is on supporting the colleague involved and their family.
“Our thoughts are also with colleagues and patients who were there at the time of the incident and for whom this has been distressing and frightening. We will continue to support Greater Manchester Police with their inquiries. All services at The Royal Oldham Hospital remain open.”
Detective Sergeant Craig Roters, from Greater Manchester Police’s Oldham district said: “This is a serious incident which has left a woman in a critical condition. Our thoughts are with her family and colleagues, and we will continue to support them throughout this investigation.
“The local community can expect to see an increase in police presence whilst we carry out enquiries, but they are also there to offer reassurance and answer any questions you may have. We know news of this nature will come as a shock, and if you have any concerns or anything you would like to share, please speak to them.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said his “thoughts are with the nurse and her loved ones” following the horrific attack at The Royal Oldham Hospital. He posted: “Nurses are the backbone of our NHS and should be able to care for patients without fear of violence.
“We’re in touch with the Trust and will update further as we can.”
