Nurses beaten in hospital incident

A nursing officer and a nurse were beaten in an incident involving a patient at Mount Carmel Hospital yesterday morning.

The incident occurred at the secure ward after the patient refused to return to his room when it was cleaned, MUMN secretary Colin Galea said.

The patient reportedly attacked the nursing officer, pushed him to the ground and kicked him. The female nurse who went to his assistance was beaten with a mop and suffered a fractured finger.

Mr Galea condemned the incident and said the union had for a long time been insisting for more adequate staff numbers and greater security at this particular ward.