Patients in a secure mental health ward being shut down in Dunedin face being sedated and flown to the North Island, one mother says.
Wakari Hospital's Ward 10A cares for adults with intellectual disabilities, some of whom are under court orders requiring locked forensic care.
The ward's closure follows inspections earlier this year, in which the Ombudsman's office says it found "some of the worst practices we have observed anywhere". Ward 10A has 12 beds for high-needs patients from Otago and Southland.
A mother's account
Now that the ward is closing, one mother has told 1News her daughter will be sedated and medevacked to Wellington this week, and moved there permanently.
"I'm really nervous, really upset about it. It's a long way from home," she said.
"Generally, we try to visit her every two weeks. To go to Wellington, that is so much further away, which causes her to have more anxiety, more stress, more panic attacks."
She visits her daughter in person every few weeks and speaks to her and nursing staff daily by phone. But she says the cramped, rundown building has been the biggest problem in Ward 10A.
Families say moving high-needs patients from Dunedin’s secure mental health unit to facilities across the country will cause distress. (Source: 1News)
"They need the facility because some of those patients can become very aggressive and very unpredictable. My child's been there for six years, and it is home outside of her home."
She said she had been told three flights a year would be funded for her to visit her daughter, "but that's not enough".
The mother says her daughter has never been abused, but has been placed in seclusion for staff and patient safety.
"The seclusion is basically for them to be calm, to allow them time to calm down," she said. "Yes, injuries do happen. My child has caused herself injury, not the nurses."
Ombudsman's findings
The Ombudsman's inspection reported "serious and significant failures that amount to potential human rights abuses".
This included a patient who had been mostly in seclusion for 18 months, and another who suffered carpet burn after being dragged on a mat.
Inspectors reported that access to dental care, a toilet, and money had all been restricted at times, and said they believed some medication may have been unlawfully administered.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey told 1News the findings were "beyond concerning".
"The Ombudsman's findings are particularly concerning because they identify issues that have been raised repeatedly over a number of years, including an OPCAT inspection in May 2021, which identified significant concerns about the ward's physical environment, patient safety, and staff safety," he said.
"In my view, based on the information I have received, there was no other option other than to close the ward."
Local MPs, including Taieri MP Ingrid Leary, have also been involved.
"Since the Ombudsman's interim findings, I've been inundated with stories from former staff, former patients and families of patients," she said.
She said she had been told multiple times that "Wakari is unsafe for patients and for staff".
Two days before the Ombudsman's findings went public, the Health New Zealand board decided to begin closing the ward and carry out a national review of similar services. The Ministry of Health has also launched an independent investigation.
Leary said: "I think that someone, somewhere, at some point knew what was happening at Wakari and tried to cover it up. That's not acceptable."
One former Ward 10A staff member told 1News this week they were surprised the ward had not been shut sooner, and backed up accusations that patients were kept in seclusion for far too long. They said some staff had been "complacent".
Health NZ responds
In a statement, Health New Zealand's acting national director of mental health and addictions, Karla Bergquist, said the decision to close the ward and relocate patients reflected "longstanding concerns about the physical environment of Ward 10A and its suitability for supporting a therapeutic model of care and rehabilitation for people with high and complex needs".
Bergquist added: "Health New Zealand remains focused on the safe transition of patients, supporting staff and whānau, and implementing the actions agreed by its Board, and will continue to work closely with them throughout this process."
The statement said: "Our focus remains on transitioning current Ward 10A patients to environments that are better suited to their needs. Due to patient privacy and ongoing planning, Health New Zealand is unable to comment on individual patient placements or movements."
It remains unclear what the space at Wakari will be used for after the closure.
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