Hospital’s visitors armed with cleaver

Mar 17 2008 by Paul Loraine, The Journal

TWO men were arrested after taking a meat cleaver into a city hospital – prompting calls for better protection for staff and patients.

The pair, aged 47 and 43, walked into Sunderland Royal Hospital through the main reception at about 7pm on Saturday.

Police said they were asking for a man in ward 53 and a member of staff noticed the knife in a bag one of the men was carrying.

Despite the apparent threat, the knife was not taken into the ward, the men leaving it in a stairwell before going inside.

By this point, a member of staff had alerted the police and the men were arrested for possessing an offensive weapon.

Nobody was hurt but last night a health union called for tighter security at the hospital.

Unison head of health for the North East, Liz Twist, said: “It’s shocking that they should be walking into a hospital with a meat cleaver. It is of great concern to staff and patients and it needs to be looked at.

“Sunderland have a very good record of taking staff security seriously. But this is also a matter of taking personal responsibility – this kind of behaviour is simply unacceptable.

“Thankfully no one was hurt on this occasion, but it is a matter of real concern.”

A police officer is drafted in at the weekend in Accident and Emergency at Sunderland Royal but the rest of the hospital does not have a police presence. For the past 20 months, bosses at Newcastle General hospital have paid for their own police officer at times when staff are most at risk.

Similar action is taken at Gateshead’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the effect has been to reduce violence against staff.

But Saturday’s arrests could spark a rethink. Ms Twist said: “We need to have a look at tightening security and I’m sure the hospital will be as keen as we are to ensure the safety of the staff and patients.”

A spokeswoman for Sunderland Royal Hospital said: “I can confirm that two men were arrested on the hospital premises yesterday evening around visiting time.”

A police spokesman said: “One of the males was found to be in possession of a knife. The knife wasn’t taken into the ward and there was no danger to the patients.”