TW assaulted whilst in hospital

[Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain]

Reposting here as posted in mental health and only got one reply, posted this originally a month or so ago and got a reply with 3 answers which I’ve now lost.

I was in hospital with mental health issues (a normal hospital) with mental health issues and had bank mental health nurses coming to watch me. Whilst doing this I was physically attacked and then sexually assaulted by 2 nurses. I was then encouraged to report this to the police who looked into it but eventually dropped the case due to lack of evidence. I would recognise both nurses though. If anyone could give me advice I’d be very grateful.

Have you made a complaint to the hospital?

Is he hospital doing anything about it, investigating and especially making sure these nurses are not used again?

What are the hospital doing?
Have the nurses been suspended, whilst there is an investigation?

I'm really sorry this happened to you OP.

Who was it that encouraged you to report it to the police?

Have you raised an official complaint with the hospital?

As I understand it you can raise a complaint with the police regarding them taking no further action, although I understand that complaints arent often successful.

This is a really serious matter. And if you feel able to I would definitely make a fuss to get your voice heard e g go to your MP. Consider getting local media involved - abuse in care situations where mental health or incapacity is involved is very newsworthy these days and there is definitely a lot of awareness that it takes place .

Did the hospital investigate. I worked in mental health and the protocols stated that staff would immediately be suspended if any complaint of sexual assault was made, and the police should be called immediately. Even if the police didn’t then take it any further the hospital would do their own investigation.

Reposting here as posted in mental health and only got one reply

You didn't acknowledge the reply or answer the questions the poster asked you.

Hopefully you'll return to this thread or no-one here will be able to help you either.

I'm so sorry you've been through this OP

I didn’t see the questions asked I don’t think?

The psychiatric unit I was in reported it to the police for me, the other unit where these nurses worked the manager also said he’d check the names.

I will raise this with my MP.

As far as I know the hospital didn’t investigate but the psychiatric unit I was in afterwards did (I had bruises all over my body from the attack).

I think the reason why the hospital didn’t investigate was because the mental health bank nurses brought in were not their own staff. Also curtains were drawn so no one else could see what happened to me.

Ahh ok.

The person who replied asked you two questions.

The main point the police made is they tried to find the nurses responsible (mental health bank nurses) but somehow could not find them.

Should I raise a complaint with the hospital even though it wasn’t their nurses doing this?

Surely I should make a complaint to the original psychiatric unit where the nurses worked though as the manager had been told what happened there, that’s a complaint right?

That’s strange. There would surely be a record of bank staff being paid for the secondment. I wonder how hard the police tried.

Were the staff attempting to restrain you?

You would need to complain to the general hospital as they were funding the bank agency nurses and would absolutely know where they had arranged them from.
I assume you were waiting for a psych bed in a psych unit, where you on an open ward or a side room

I used to be a mental health nurse if they are employed by the mental health trust as bank nurses ,then they should be easy enough to find aa HR will have their details
If they are agency staff ,it maybe more difficult but the agency should have the nurses details
Also were they registered Nurses? ,if so the NMC need to be informed .

At one point yes but this was after I’d been hit several times.

The officer in charge said she looked through 1,000 page document.

I’d assume they’re registered.

Yes I was waiting for a psych ward bed. I’ll go back to the hospital then.

What do you mean you find the scenario unlikely? Do you think I’m lying? I can assure you I am not lying.

I think I’ll return to the original psych ward and manager. When he was first informed of this he was shocked and vowed to look into this. The second psych ward were only going by what was told and recorded by them (body scan) but I was told at least twice by them, what they’ve done is appalling and not to worry we will look into this and sort it out. So then the police took it up.

Hi OP. I’ve been assaulted in a hospital (not psychiatric and I wasn’t even a patient!!). The hospital never does anything. They’ll tell you they take it seriously but they don’t.
I went all the way to court in the end but I won’t bore you with my story.
People always doubt stories about healthcare staff assaulting non-healthcare staff.
It’s a remote possibility that it will occur and truly shocking when it does. No-one wants to believe it happens.

If the police won’t prosecute then I’d leave it - but that’s easy for me to say because that’s what I wish I’d done in my situation- and try to heal.

The fact that people dismiss assault of this kind is why I’m never ever reporting anything ever again.