Danger Patient on Run From Scandal Hospital ; He Has a History of Violence but Was Able to Flee Escort
Posted on: Tuesday, 6 September 2005, 18:01 CDT
A DANGEROUS mental patient with a string of violent convictions is on the run after escaping from a London psychiatric hospital notorious for breakouts.
Andrew Nunoo, 30, fled the secure unit at Springfield Hospital, Tooting, on Sunday as he was being escorted around the hospital gardens by a member of staff.
Police say he is "a threat" to public safety and warned people not to approach him but to dial 999 if they see him.
A week earlier, a patient convicted of attempted murder went on the run from Springfield for 48 hours. Altin Bushi, 24, was tracked down in Northumberland, trying to board a ferry to the Continent with a knife. A year ago, paranoid schizophrenic John Barrett walked out of the hospital and killed former banker Denis Finnegan, 50, in Richmond Park.
Mr Nunoo was last seen at Springfield at 6.20pm on Sunday. He is black, 5ft 11in tall, and of muscular build with a shaved head. Police said he had friends in south-west London and Mitcham.
In April, another patient escaped from the hospital while walking with staff in the grounds and was on the loose for 11 days. In May, Springfield was fined Pounds 28,000 for safety failures over the death of male nurse, Mamade Chattun, 34, who was attacked after being left alone with schizophrenic Jason Cann, 22, in 2003.
Hospital chief executive Nigel Fisher said of the latest escape: "A patient absconded while on escorted ground leave as part of his rehabilitation programme. We are investigating and co-operating fully with the police."
Springfield underwent an internal review after Mr Finnegan's death and introduced new security measures.
But a senior police source today said: "The review has failed. You cannot gain public confidence when you have people walking out of this hospital committing murders and carrying knives."
Source: Evening Standard; London (UK)
Related Articles
- 1 In 4 Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients With Medicare Back In Hospital Within A Month
- Specialty Hospitals Cherry-Pick Patients, Exaggerate Success
- Medicare Policy to Withhold Payments to Hospitals That Harm Patients Goes Into Effect October 1
- MyPatientLine Connects Hospitalized, Critical Care Patients and Their Friends, Family Members
- Northwest Hospital & Medical Center Earns Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety
- Beijing Warns of Harsh Punishments for Hospitals Rejecting AIDS Patients
- J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Delaware County Memorial Hospital, Springfield Hospital and Taylor Hospital Recognized for Providing an Outstanding Inpatient Experience
- CRITICAL ; Chaos Warning By Medics Over Hospital Choice for Patients
- Growing Number of Primary Physicians No Longer Go to Hospitals to Treat Patients
- Glycemic and Lipid Control in Hospitalized Type 2 Diabetic Patients: Evaluation of 2 Enteral Nutrition Formulas (Low Carbohydrate-High Monounsaturated Fat Vs High Carbohydrate)
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds