Toughest Glass Still Broken

Out-of-control patients at Nelson's mental-health admissions unit have been managing to break toughened safety glass.

This presented a safety risk to everyone involved, said Nelson Marlborough District Health Board chief executive John Peters in his latest report to the board.

It had proven difficult to obtain glass that was strong enough, as patients were breaking certain windows in the unit, the report said. Viridian Glass had supplied the "toughest appropriate glass", which it hoped would resolve the issues.

However, general manager of corporate services Nick Lanigan told the meeting that since the report had been published, new glass had also been broken.

Robyn Byers, service director mental health directorate, said protocols were in place to maintain the safest environment.

"Safety for patients and staff is paramount in the mental-health admissions unit. All staff are trained and updated regularly in de-escalation and calming."

Although it was usually de-escalated, property destruction did occur in any mental-health admission unit, because of the high clinical needs of the people being treated there, she said.

In the past year, two windows fitted with safety glass had been broken twice by different patients. In the past financial year, acute unit glass replacements cost $2122.