# Fourteen staff members take time off after patient assaults at new mental health ward

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/checkpoint-650800/fourteen-staff-members-take-time-off-after-patient-assaults-at-new-mental-health-ward
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/checkpoint-650800/fourteen-staff-members-take-time-off-after-patient-assaults-at-new-mental-health-ward.md
Podcast: [Checkpoint](https://stenobird.com/podcast/checkpoint-650800)
Published: 2026-06-12T04:44:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2019039041/fourteen-staff-members-take-time-off-after-patient-assaults-at-new-mental-health-ward
Audio file: https://flex.acast.com/podcast.radionz.co.nz/ckpt/ckpt-20260612-1644-14_staff_members_had_to_take_time_off_after_patient_assaults-128.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/checkpoint-650800/episodes/fourteen-staff-members-take-time-off-after-patient-assaults-at-new-mental-health-ward
Duration seconds: 286

## Resource

Fourteen staff members have had to take time off work after being assaulted by patients at Palmerston North Hospital's new mental health ward, Ngā Wai Ngāro, since it opened in February. Now the brother of a former patient of the service, who died by suicide while under hospital care, says inadequate staffing levels are putting people at risk. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

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## Transcript

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