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Charge
Nurse |
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"Tremendous
impact.
I am now more knowledgeable of the issues raised"
Ward Manager |
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"Excellent,
has given information that will radically change my practice"
Criminal
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| salisbury
case, june 2004 |
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Call
for health care staff to receive witness training
Nursing Times
by Jo Hartley,
30 June 2004 |
Nurses
should be given training on giving evidence
in court, a senior nurse and legal experts
said last week. The call was made in
response to the trial of nurse Barbara
Salisbury, who was found guilty earlier
this month of attempting to murder two
older patients.
Around 66 nurses and other health care
professionals who worked at Leighton
Hospital in Crewe, where Ms Salisbury
was a sister, were called as witnesses
during the trial. Hundreds of pages
of statements were taken and the hospital’s
records examined as part of the 18 month
long police investigation leading up
to the trial.
Mid Cheshire NHS Hospitals Trust offered
staff training on providing written
and oral evidence, as the court case
was causing anxiety and stress. The
three-day course was conducted by InPractice,
a company specialising in educating
health care staff in medico-legal issues.
It covered statement writing, oath taking,
cross-examination and courtroom procedure
in criminal, civil and coroner’s
courts. But it did not discuss the Salisbury
trial, as UK law prohibits witnesses
from rehearsing evidence.
Speaking to Nursing Times last week,
Barbara Pennington, director of nursing
at Mid Cheshire NHS Hospitals Trust
said the case had made it clear that
preparing people for all types of court
appearances was needed. The training
also highlighted the importance of accurate
documentation in nursing records.
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What
has come out of the training for the
whole organisation is that people
have realised how important it is to
be factual and clear’, Ms Pennington
said. Kate Hill, Managing Director of
InPractice, added: ‘Nurses have
to give evidence as part of their job,
they get training on all other aspects
of their job so why not on this?’
Mr Justice Pitchford, the judge presiding
over the Salisbury case, held at Chester
Crown Court, also gave his support to
witness training. During the trial the
defence challenged the training given
to hospital staff, claiming it amounted
to ‘coaching’.The trial was
stopped for four days while the judge
heard legal debate.
He ruled that the training was lawful.
In a written judgment Mr Pitchford said:
‘This seems to me an exercise any
witness would be entitled to enjoy were
it available’.
Mr Pitchford added that the training
had given the staff valuable knowledge
on the pitfalls of giving evidence and
advised them how best to prepare for
the ordeal. Last week InPractice called
for national guidance on witness training
to ensure the NHS could be confident
it could support its staff if they are
called to give evidence.
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