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Hospital chief apologises after staff played ‘Halloween bingo’ in A&E with points for spotting spiking victims

Categories that staff were urged to tick off for points included ‘Spiked’ and ‘Stabby McStabberson’

Douglas Whitbread
Thursday 18 November 2021 06:06 EST
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The Halloween Bingo game staff at the LGI were playing in the A+E department
The Halloween Bingo game staff at the LGI were playing in the A+E department (Yorkshire Post / SWNS)

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A top NHS nurse has apologised after it emerged staff played a “disgusting” game of “Halloween bingo” on a busy A&E ward – winning points for spotting spiking victims.

Categories that staff were urged to tick off for points included ‘Spiked’, ‘Stabby McStabberson’ and ‘NFA not actual costume’ - believed to refer to homeless patients.

Another disturbing category referred to the popular Netflix show ‘Squid Game’, with staff winning a bonus point if they spotted a “sexy” version of the outfit.

The game was played during a surge in reported spiking incidents across the country which saw young women injected with needles in bars and nightclubs.

The unnamed whistleblower who saw staff playing the sick game said they needed to be “held to account for this disgusting and unprofessional behaviour”.

The bingo card was spotted by friend of an A&E patient who made a formal complaint to Leeds General Infirmary.

Chief nurse Lisa Grant apologised for the offence caused and said “appropriate action” will now be taken against those involved in playing the game.

The whistleblower said: “Unfortunately, I ended up in A&E at the Leeds General Infirmary over Halloween weekend.

“I noticed that the staff were playing a game of “patient bingo”, where they scored points for seeing patients wearing certain Halloween costumes.

“This would be bad enough by itself, but the bingo sheet awarded points for things like seeing ‘sexy’ patients, and made light of homeless people and patients who may have been spiked.

“I have complained to the hospital directly about this, but am waiting to hear back for a response.

“I think the hospital needs to be held to account for this disgusting and unprofessional behaviour.”

The whistleblower said the bingo sheet was visible to anybody entering the A&E department.

Categories on the sheet were: Squid Game: Bonus Point Sexy Squid Game, Sexy Profession, Spiked, You’re a wizard, Harry!, Fisherprice my first MDMA, Real Blood/Fake Blood, NFA Not actual costume, Neon, Sexy Animal, The Exorcist projectile vomming, Harleyquinn, Superhero, Halloween Otley Run, Pumpkin, Angel or Devil, Stabby mcstabberson.

The whistleblower added: “[The game] was just lying on a desk where anyone could see it.

“I guess it just felt really wrong and I was shocked that the staff would be making a joke out of things as serious as being shot or being spiked, especially since this has been a big problem recently.

“I was also pretty disgusted that they made a joke about homeless people looking like they’re in Halloween costumes, as Leeds has a pretty big homeless problem.

“These are the people we turn to when we’re in need, and they were openly mocking the people they’re supposed to be helping.”

Chief Nurse Lisa Grant said the behaviour was unacceptable.

She said: “I apologise for the offence caused by this behaviour in our emergency department at Leeds General Infirmary.

“We are extremely disappointed and dismayed that this has happened in one of our hospitals.

“This is clearly unacceptable, and we are taking the appropriate action with those involved.

“We are reminding all colleagues that such behaviours and activities have absolutely no place in our Trust.”

Reporting by SWNS

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