Death of patient at Winnipeg hospital being investigated as critical incident

An initial investigation into the death of a patient waiting for care at a Winnipeg hospital found it met the criteria to be deemed a critical incident, and a comprehensive review is underway.

Shared Health said in a statement the review will look at the contributing factors to the Feb. 28 death at Health Sciences Centre.

“It is going to take a few months for the investigation to be complete, typically about three months. At that time, we will give as much information as we can,” HSC chief operating officer Dr. Shawn Young said at a news conference Thursday, noting they are limited on what information can be shared about the incident because of personal health information requirements and patient confidentiality.

The province defines a critical incident as “an unintended event that occurs when health services are provided to an individual and results in a consequence to him or her that is serious and undesired,” which includes death, disability or injury.

An independent patient safety team will examine the circumstances of the incident and make recommendations on what can be implemented in order to avoid a similar event in the future.

Hospital administrators said earlier this week the patient was brought there by ambulance, and the department was dealing with a large number of patients at the time.

According to officials, staffing was at or near baseline levels that evening, but the emergency department saw a high number of high-acuity patients.

Shared Health said protocols were raised the day of the incident to the top level when other measures to help patient flow were exhausted.

Dr. Young said the triggers for the current overcapacity protocols are relatively new, and were added in a response to congestion last year.

“We’ve not been typically able to put people in hallways in the past. We are now, unfortunately, and we’ve learned that because many systems across the country are feeling the same pressures, and we’ve learned from them,” he said.

“It does create challenges within the site, for sure.”

When asked if any changes have been made since the death last week, HSC executive director of acute health services Jennifer Cumpsty said they are continuously meeting throughout the days and weeks to address capacity and resource issues.

“It’s ongoing work because we know that there are ongoing challenges.”

- With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre