Hospital's apology to Sunderland dad accidentally stabbed by needle found by six-year-old son

Hospital bosses have apologised to a Sunderland dad who was accidentally stabbed with a discarded needle, found on the floor by his young son.
Clive Winney with son Lucas.Clive Winney with son Lucas.
Clive Winney with son Lucas.

Clive Winney, 39, was at Sunderland Royal Hospital, where his six-year-old son Lucas had been admitted as a result of seizures, when the terrifying incident happened.

The youngster, from Plains Farm, suffers from a type of severe epilepsy which requires round-the-clock care by his father and his mother Sharon, 43, and is often admitted to the hospital.

Clive Winney was accidentally stabbed with a used needle at Sunderland Royal Hospital.Clive Winney was accidentally stabbed with a used needle at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
Clive Winney was accidentally stabbed with a used needle at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
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But on a recent visit, Mr Winney was horrified to witness his son picking up a needle from the floor.

But as he reached to take grab the item from the boy, he was accidentally stabbed in the hand, causing it to bleed.

Mr Winney, who also has three stepchildren, said: “I got my son out of the pram. He ran around the bed and picked up a needle.

“I ran to get it and it went straight into me. It wasn’t even left there by staff, they don’t know where it came from.

Sunderland Royal Hospital.Sunderland Royal Hospital.
Sunderland Royal Hospital.
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“I had to go straight to A&E and have my bloods done, then have boosters for tetanus and Hepatitis B.

“I have to go back in a month’s time for another Hepatitis B injection.

He added: “I was shocked, very shocked I wasn’t expecting anything like that lying on the floor. It was quite frightening.

“I’m just grateful I grabbed it in time and he didn’t injure himself with it and go through what I’m going through.”

Clive Winney was accidentally stabbed with a used needle at Sunderland Royal Hospital.Clive Winney was accidentally stabbed with a used needle at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
Clive Winney was accidentally stabbed with a used needle at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
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Mr Winney now faces a worrying time ahead as his test results are analysed after his ordeal, which happened on September 29.

“They haven’t told me what the results are yet.

“I worry what I might have picked up, and what could have happened to my son as well.

“My son is always in and out of this hospital and I wasn’t expecting anything like this

Clive Winney was accidentally stabbed with a used needle at Sunderland Royal Hospital.Clive Winney was accidentally stabbed with a used needle at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
Clive Winney was accidentally stabbed with a used needle at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

“It shouldn’t have been there, they said they didn’t know the needle was there or where it came from.

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“It’s quite shocking how a needle got into the hospital and they have not seen it.

“I never thought this would happen. I was in there because of my son and ended up in A&E myself.

“Now I worry all the time, I don’t even sleep properly because of the stress.”

A spokeswoman for Sunderland City Hospitals said: “We would like to apologise to Mr Winney for the distress this incident has caused.

“Patient safety is extremely important to us and we will be thoroughly investigating the circumstances so we can ensure lessons are learned and this type of incident does not happen again.”