A FORMER nurse at a secure unit housing violent patients today warned that villagers in Whalley could be at risk unless staffing levels were improved.

David Wynne, of Billington Gardens, Billington, has joined the chorus of protest over the growing number of assaults on employees at Calderstones Hospital's medium secure unit.

And a union boss has also revealed that the trust could be "courting potential disaster" unless the level of staff and expertise was increased.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed on Friday that nurses had begun an "unofficial work to rule" on the unit, which cares for 133 patients with "challenging behaviour."

The move was sparked by a rising number of physical attacks on staff and a management shake-up which saw the unit's general manager moved to another job.

Mr Wynne, who worked at the hospital for 30 years and was a charge nurse at the secure unit, said: "There are incidents of violence against staff all the time and soon there are going to be serious problems.

"The people being admitted to the medium secure unit at Calderstones would once have been housed in top security hospitals like Ashworth. "The security of the unit is being compromised because staffing levels are too low.

"Villagers will be at risk if things do not improve, but if something does happen it will be staff that get the blame."

Whalley Councillor Joyce Holgate added: "My main concern is for the security of residents living near Calderstones and villagers in general. Can the hospital authorities assure us that the unit is secure and that we are safe? The views of staff should be taken seriously before this matter goes any further."

Festus Egbo, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) branch secretary at Calderstones, said the correct skill mix and adequate level of staff were needed to minimise violence.

He said the trust was "courting possible disaster" by proposing to expand the unit without increasing staffing levels or expertise.

Heather Peters, executive nurse director at Calderstones, said staffing levels were appropriate to ensure the safety, care and support of patients. There was no reason for Whalley residents to be concerned.

Acting head of service Maureen McQuire said there was no work-to-rule, although staff were taking their meal breaks.

She said: "Ensuring adequate staff cover, while making sure that staff take the meal breaks to which they are entitled, has always needed careful management.

"Overtime is also carefully monitored to make sure that adequate staffing levels prevail and individual members of staff do not carry out more overtime than is safe for them, their co-workers or our clients."

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