This Is Cheshire

I WARNED THEM THAT NURSE WAS

From the Guardian Series, first published Wednesday 7th Jul 2004.

A DANGER

A WINSFORD woman warned Leighton Hospital that Barbara Salisbury was dangerous more than three years before she attempted to murder two patients.

Kathleen Suckley, of Dee Square, Winsford, wrote an eight-page letter to Leighton Hospital in December 1998, outlining the way her husband, Roy, 74, was treated on ward five.

Speaking to the Guardian this week, Mrs Suckley said: "Maybe if my letter had been taken more seriously then she wouldn't have had the opportunity to commit the crimes that she did.

"She received five years in prison but my husband is still in hospital six years later."

One of the allegations contained in the letter concerned an incident when Salisbury, who was jailed last month on two charges of attempted murder, helped to put Mr Suckley on a commode.

The letter said: "I was extremely shocked, angry and upset to find my husband on his own behind closed curtains, falling forward and to the right, laboured breathing, his left hand stuck in the commode under him, he was covered in excrement and it was even on his face.

"As I walked back with the clean up materials, Sister Salisbury was still shouting. She was completely out of control.

"Whenever she appeared, Roy looked frightened, extended his arm, pointed at Sister Salisbury and very clearly said 'evil' time after time. I'm ashamed to admit that I was frightened of Sister Salisbury seeing this because of her temper and reprisals."

Mrs Suckley also stated that Salisbury's treatment of her husband caused him to have fits.

The letter said: "At this point, I really decided that this person was a danger to the nursing profession."

A spokeswoman for Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "In response to Mrs Suckley's letter to the trust's patients' services officer, the latter wrote three letters dated December 29, 1998, January 15, 1999, and February 15, 1999. In them, she apologised for the fact that Mrs Suckley was unhappy with Barbara Salisbury's care and treatment of her husband and confirmed that steps would be taken to ensure that there was no repetition of the problems she had experienced.

"The trust can also confirm that Barbara Salisbury was moved away from the care of Mr Suckley in response to his wife's complaints.

"Trust officers investigated Mrs Suckley's complaints, which centred largely on Barbara Salisbury's attitude towards her, but did not find evidence of the latter's involvement in an incident in which Mr Suckley was allegedly left on a commode.

"Nor did they find any evidence that Salisbury had mistreated Mr Suckley in any way.

"Indeed, she was not actually Mr Suckley's nurse, but she was in charge of the ward and was therefore the person to whom less senior staff would turn for advice and support."

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: "All the claims and allegations were investigated fully.

"If new information is put forward then I'm sure it would be looked into."