| "I've
got nothing to cover up"
June 20, 2008
by Staff Reporter
.....
A
senior mental health nurse has denied accusations that she got rid
of vital evidence and covered up the circumstances of a patient's
death during restraint, an inquest heard.
Former
duty nursing manager Petrina Thomas was in charge at Cefn Coed Hospital
in Swansea at the time of 32-year-old Kurt Howard's death on June
29, 2002.
She
was giving evidence earlier this month at an inquest into Mr Howard's
death. The inquest is being covered by thisisswansea.co.uk
Mr
Howard, diagnosed with schizophrenia, died while under restraint
for 55 minutes in his room in ward five of Tegfan ward, thisisswansea.co.uk
has reported.
Leslie
Thomas, the barrister for Mr Howard's family, accused Mrs Thomas
of being "part and parcel" of a cover-up involving her
and other nursing staff.
He
leveled 11 accusations of her omitting to fill in forms correctly,
washing Mr Howard's body and his room to eradicate forensic evidence
of alleged wrongdoing, and colluding with her staff to cover up
their actions in restraining Mr Howard in the face-down position,
including a failure to record bruising to Mr Howard's face.
Mrs
Thomas, now clinical nurse manager at Tonna Hospital in Neath, vehemently
denied the allegations.
"I
haven't got anything to cover up," she said"
Mr Howard's mental health problems were exacerbated by an addiction
to drugs, leading to aggressive and often violent episodes, the
jury has heard.
The
inquest is continuing
See also:
May
30: Psychiatric patient died after '55 minutes' of restraint
- inquest jury hears evidence to decide what caused death of Kurt
Howard, 32, at Swansea's Cefn Coed Hospital
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