Acupuncture patient left alone in locked clinic
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- The State Health Department has just opened an investigation into a Bellingham acupuncture clinic after the clinic locked up for the day, but forgot about a patient who still had needles in her back.
The 47-year-old patient was getting acupuncture treatments in her back and was left alone in a room.
More than an hour passed, but then finally when it reached about 7:30 p.m., the woman knew something was wrong so she stepped out of the room and got a surprise.
"The staff was gone, the doors were locked," said Mark Young with Bellingham Police. "She had inadvertently set off some alarms that had been set."
She was trapped inside. Police say she removed the needles from her back and called 911.
Young says it's not a criminal case, but the incident has raised concern from the state Department of Health.
"Patients have an expectation to be treated in a safe way and that care meet standards of professional conduct," a department spokesperson said. "We are investigating the events in this case."
We tried to talk to the acupuncturist in question, but were told she was not in the office.
The DOH says it's still very early in their investigation, but say the acupuncturist is licensed. The patient was fine.
The 47-year-old patient was getting acupuncture treatments in her back and was left alone in a room.
More than an hour passed, but then finally when it reached about 7:30 p.m., the woman knew something was wrong so she stepped out of the room and got a surprise.
"The staff was gone, the doors were locked," said Mark Young with Bellingham Police. "She had inadvertently set off some alarms that had been set."
She was trapped inside. Police say she removed the needles from her back and called 911.
Young says it's not a criminal case, but the incident has raised concern from the state Department of Health.
"Patients have an expectation to be treated in a safe way and that care meet standards of professional conduct," a department spokesperson said. "We are investigating the events in this case."
We tried to talk to the acupuncturist in question, but were told she was not in the office.
The DOH says it's still very early in their investigation, but say the acupuncturist is licensed. The patient was fine.