I was at work when a man nearly bit my finger off
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It was a day that started like any other as I drove to the hospital where I worked as a healthcare assistant. One of my patients was an elderly man with sepsis, who had been isolated after contracting Covid-19. I went into his room to take his temperature – something I had done countless times over the decades of my career in healthcare. But as I leaned over, he suddenly turned around, grabbed my right hand and manage to wrap wrap the thermometer wire around it.
As he had me trapped, the man violently pulled me towards himself and bit my finger. At first, I was silent, shell shocked. Then the pain registered. I worked my hardest to prise his head away from me but he was surprisingly strong for his age. I kept trying to force him off me, but I was met with even more resistance – all the while his teeth stayed firmly clamped around my finger.
Desperate for help, I started shouting, but because the patient was in isolation from others on the ward no one could hear me. No one came to my aid. Eventually, I managed to escape and seek help. I could tell that my hand was severely injured – I was bleeding heavily and I couldn’t move my finger because of the pain.
I ended up being off work for two weeks, meaning I missed out on around £800, which was financially devastating. I was sent to A&E where I got an x-ray, was disinfected and bandaged. Thankfully, I didn’t lose my finger, but I was told it was close – and that I should go home and rest until I had recovered.
