Abusive man banned from every UK hospital, clinic or GP practice

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 02 Jun 2004 - 14:00 PDT

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Norman Hutchins, 53, has been banned from every UK hospital, clinic, GP practice - in fact, any premises belonging to the National Health Service (NHS). Hutchins was made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order by magistrates (judges in court).

During the last five months, he had apparently abused NHS staff 47 times - both physically and verbally. Things came to a head when he was found by NHS security staff walking around with a knife on NHS premises.

Hutchins had become more difficult and frightening in his behaviour over the last few months. He developed a fetish for surgical masks and would find ingenious ways of getting into hospitals and clinics in order to get hold of them. He would ask for the masks saying he was organising an amateur dramatics event. On other occasions he said he needed them for a fancy-dress party.

Mr Justin Crossley, the prosecuting lawyer for York City Council, said in court "This defendent has over the preceding 15 to 16 years been involved in a number of offences in which he has obtained dishonestly by way of surgical garments. The lion's share of these acts involve making inquiries, direct inquiries to NHS establishments."

According to Jim Gee, CEO of the NHS Security Management Service "More than 30 NHS organisations have tried to respond locally to this problem by obtaining civil injunctions concerning their own premises…..This order sends a strong message to anyone who would consider acting violently or abusively towards NHS staff."

According to some NHS staff, Hutchins would sometimes come into hospitals dressed up as a doctor and frighten staff.

An NHS spokesman said that the vast majority of people who enter hospital premises behave in a friendly and polite manner.