Bay of Plenty Police have acknowledged the findings of an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report into an incident at Tauranga Hospital in March 2018.

The IPCA investigated an allegation of excessive use of force by officers transporting a man from Tauranga Hospital to Tauranga Police Station after his arrest for drugs offences.

The IPCA found the officers involved used appropriate force when removing the man from hospital, due to the threat the man posed.

The report did find however that the removal plan in place was insufficient and did not involve adequate communication with hospital staff.

The officer responsible for the plan has received additional Command and Control training, and the other officers involved have also received further training in Tactical Options Reporting.

Police also worked with Tauranga Hospital staff after the incident to agree a new protocol to deal with situations when patients who are under arrest or who are going to be arrested are discharged and removed from hospital.