Nurse Sustains ‘Life-Changing’ Injuries After Man Allegedly Stabbed Her in ‘Senseless Attack’ Inside Hospital

A nurse is recovering after a man waiting in the emergency department where she worked allegedly stabbed her with a “sharp instrument.”

According to the Greater Manchester Police in England, a 37-year-old man was arrested on Saturday, Jan. 11, and is being held on suspicion of attempted murder after officials say he attacked a woman in her 50s who was working at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

The Manchester Evening News reported that the attack took place in the hospital’s emergency ward and added that the nurse was attacked with a “sharp instrument” that was not a knife.

Police said that the man — whose name has not been made public — was arrested at the scene, and is still in custody as of Sunday, Jan. 12.

The nurse sustained “serious injuries and remains in hospital for treatment,” police added in a press release, noting that her injuries “are believed to be life-changing.”

“This is a serious incident which has left a woman in a critical condition,” Detective Sergeant Craig Roters added in the press release. “Our thoughts are with her family and colleagues, and we will continue to support them throughout this investigation.”

Heather Caudle, the chief nursing officer at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which operates Royal Oldham Hospital, added in the release that the incident was “distressing and frightening.” She also said that the organization is supporting the woman and her family.

“We are incredibly shocked and saddened by last night’s incident and our focus is on supporting the colleague involved and their family,” Caudle added. “Our thoughts are also with colleagues and patients who were there at the time of the incident and for whom this has been distressing and frightening.”

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National Health Service England Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard also shared a statement on X, writing that NHS staff should have the right to work safely.

“I would like to thank everyone who acted so quickly to help after this terrible assault,” she wrote. “Our staff deserve the right to come to work – to help others – without fear of being harmed.”

Local government officials have also spoken out about the assault, including local Parliament member Jim McMahon, who wrote that the attack was “senseless.”

“We are all shocked at the senseless attack on a nurse in the [accident and emergency] department of the Royal Oldham Hospital,” McMahon wrote in a Facebook post. “Our thoughts are with the nurse, family and friends as we wish a full recovery.”

The hospital is set to remain open. Manchester police said that they do not believe there is any further threat to the public.