Whipps Cross Hospital abuse trial: Three healthcare assistants in court
- Published
The three healthcare assistants worked at Whipps Cross Hospital
Eleven elderly hospital patients were treated in a way that "simply had no place on any ward" by three healthcare assistants, a court has heard.
Akousa Sakyiwaa, 38, Annette Jackson, 33 and Sharmila Gunda, 36, deny various counts of ill-treatment or neglect.
Ms Sakyiwaa and Ms Gunda also deny a charge of assault by beating.
The abuse happened in spring of last year on the Beech Ward at Whipps Cross Hospital in east London, Snaresbrook Crown Court was told.
Prosecutor John McNally said while the female patients, who had various conditions including dementia, may have been at times obstructive the defendants should have taken good care of them.
"An entitlement to proper care should not be a matter of chance or be given at the whim of the carer," he told the jury.
"The conduct complained of simply had no place on any ward.
"Even when people lack capacity they don't just become bodies to be pushed around."
'Screamed with pain'
The prosecutor told the court that one of the victims, 92-year-old Lily Oliver, was admitted to hospital with painful swelling in her arthritic knee.
He said Ms Sakyiwaa was "extremely rough", grabbing her left knee with both hands and pushing it towards another worker, causing the pensioner to "scream with pain".
The women were charged following a Metropolitan Police inquiry into the hospital after a student nurse acted as a whistleblower.
Only one of the 11 patients is able to give evidence.
The incidents are alleged to have taken place between 27 February and 30 April 2012.
Ms Sakyiwaa, of Orange Grove, Leytonstone, is charged with seven counts of ill-treatment or neglect and one count of assault by beating.
Ms Jackson, of Simpson Road, Hounslow, is charged with five counts of ill-treatment or neglect.
Ms Gunda, of Horns Road, Ilford, is charged with two counts of ill-treatment or neglect and one charge of assault by beating.
The trial continues.