Psychiatric nurse was a 'predator'
A former patient of Joondalup hospital's mental health unit told a Perth tribunal yesterday that she was sexually assaulted by a psychiatric nurse who then threatened that she could lose her son if she disclosed the incidents.
The woman, whose name is suppressed, described nurse Timothy Buckby as a "predator" while giving evidence at a State Administrative Tribunal hearing into professional misconduct allegations.
A second former patient, whose name is also suppressed, broke into uncontrollable crying as she described being in a vulnerable state when she was befriended by Mr Buckby and under the belief they were going to form a relationship.
Mr Buckby, whose lawyers have withdrawn from his case, failed to attend yesterday's hearing into serious allegations brought by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
But the case into incidents alleged to have taken in 2012 went ahead in his absence.
The tribunal was told that Mr Buckby had left his employment at the Joondalup hospital in July 2012 after being notified that the allegations involving one of the patients were being investigated.
Mr Buckby remains registered as a nurse, but the Australian Health Practitioner Agency website shows that conditions were placed on his registration in October 2013.
The tribunal was told that neither of the two patients had initially reported or disclosed the incidents but had later revealed details to a psychiatrist, who had notified the hospital of the allegations under mandatory reporting requirements.
