The report, delivered to the Southern District Health Board 10 months ago and only now released after an Official Information Act request for it lodged back in August, also warned "violence and aggression risk" was not managed and posed a "significant, credible threat to the safety of SDHB people, patients and the public".
It is the third such report the SDHB had received in recent years, and numerous internal reviews have also highlighted serious safety concerns.
The latest report, commissioned by the SDHB from health and safety consultancy Purple, painted a picture of a dangerous work environment where staff concerns were overlooked or ignored and employees questioned management commitment to their health and safety.
"Wakari, in the main, is not a safe or happy place to work."
The mental health leadership team was dedicated and well-intentioned, but there was a sense of "learned helplessness" and frustration as they failed to get SDHB executive leadership to put into action items they considered straightforward, such as stopping people from smoking outside one of the main buildings.
"The mental health, addiction and intellectual disability (MHAID) leadership team have written copious papers about the need for security, staff and other relevant health and safety issues like personal alarms," the report said.
"There appears to have been no action as a result of these papers and this seems to be because of a miscommunication between the more senior leaders in SDHB and the MHAID leadership team."
Although there were multiple risk registers, risk reports and discussions about risk, it was unclear how well the executive and board understood the priorities, the report said.
The report urged the SDHB to remove unnecessary bureaucracy so that health and safety issues could be progressed, and when there was an obvious solution to act on it.
"The risks at Wakari are such that there is a credible threat of serious irreversible harm," the report said.
"Do not wait for the results of the security review or the mental health services review before implementing controls to protect Wakari staff."
Staff morale was rock bottom and a number of people broke down in tears during interviews carried out for the report.
"A general sense of low morale and negativity pervaded the observations and interviews," the report said.
"The sense of hopelessness was affecting the staff and leaders in every ward."
The risk of violence at the hospital was so high that some staff feared coming to work, the report said.
"There are a high number of assaults [patient on staff] at Wakari Hospital, many serious and involving hospital treatment.
"Despite the impact on staffing levels and budget of staff being injured seriously enough that they need to take time off work, and the fear many staff have clearly expressed about their working conditions, action to address the issues is slow and insufficient."
The SDHB is well aware of the shortcomings of Wakari, and more than two years ago it commissioned a report from consultancy firm Sapere which eventually found that parts of the complex were dilapidated and much of it was not fit for purpose.
A fortnight ago, Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier released an equally as scathing report on Wakari, based on an unannounced inspection of some of the facility’s wards.
It found that Ward 10A failed to meet the needs of the community, was unsafe for patients and staff, and severely compromised the dignity and independence of patients.
The Otago Daily Times reported yesterday on a recent court case where a patient was convicted of assault after she stabbed a nurse with a needle.
Wakari Public Service Association rep Julie Morton said the Purple report was appalling, and that a year on from a meeting of combined unions with the board which led to it being commissioned little had been achieved.
"We weren’t given the report until August, and one of the main themes is stop waiting around for reports, just get on and do it, and they still haven’t.
"They have told us they were going to go through the report and make a plan for how to address it and I am still waiting to see that plan."
SDHB acting MHAID executive director Gilbert Taurua said the board was firmly focused on taking urgent action to address the issues highlighted in the report.
"We acknowledge and accept that changes are required, and the concerns raised about potential risks to staff safety and security are taken extremely seriously."
