As an investigation continues into four nurses stood down from Shellharbour Hospital's mental health unit, a former patient has spoken out about her "appalling" treatment at the facility.
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Wendy (not her real name) had been a registered nurse for 10 years when her battle with depression and anxiety led to her spending five weeks as an inpatient in Shellharbour's Mirrabrook mental health unit in mid-2011.
The southern suburbs resident claimed she was able to smuggle a scalpel blade into the unit, which she hid in her room and later used to attempt self-harm.
She also claims that nurses failed to check in on her, even though she was supposed to be on a 30-minute watch.
Despite complaining to the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) and taking part in meetings with Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District management, she said she felt the issues were left unresolved.
When she read in the Mercury on May 29 this year about the suspension of the four nurses from Shellharbour Hospital's Eloura mental health unit, she was driven to speak out.
The nurses have been stood down indefinitely after a female patient was left unchecked and walked out during the night.
"Being a patient was an experience that I wouldn't want to repeat," Wendy said.
"You are treated like a second-rate citizen when you are a mental health patient.
"I was let down by the security procedures - I wasn't scanned properly and was able to smuggle a scalpel blade in.
"My treatment in the unit was appalling - I was on a 30-minute check but no one checked on me.
"And I had to go and seek out staff when one patient had a fall, and another suffered a seizure, because there were no staff around," Wendy said.
She said that though she had now recovered and was working in a private health facility, she was concerned to hear that observation practices were still not being adhered to at the facility.
The incident with the four nurses comes less than 12 months after the alleged murder of 47-year-old Joseph Gumley by his roommate at the hospital's Eloura West unit.
Police allege Paul Hindmarsh, 31, fatally assaulted Mr Gumley with the dead man's own electric guitar some time between 6.30am and 7.50am on July 31, 2014.
A damning NSW Health report into that incident found the two men were not checked for hours, with investigators told that staff regularly signed observation sheets without actually seeing patients.
However, ISLHD executive director mental health Paula Hakesley said the district continued to work on improving the culture within the service.
She said there had been a "significant shift" in the way mental health services were delivered in recent years, with a move towards a "consumer recovery-focused framework".
"The complaint regarding care in 2011 was received three years ago and subsequently dealt with by the Health Care Complaints Commission," Ms Hakesley said.
"Since that time, the local health district's policies and procedures have been reviewed and updated where required.
"The policy requirements and expectations of staff working across our mental health service have been clearly outlined."
