Death of patient waiting 33 hours in Winnipeg ER being treated as critical incident

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority is officially investigating a death of a patient waiting at a Winnipeg hospital in November as a critical incident.

The WRHA confirmed the news Friday in a statement.

“The initial patient safety review into the death has been completed and it has been determined that the event meets the criteria of a critical incident,” a spokesperson said in a written statement.

“A comprehensive review into the circumstances that led to the incident is now ongoing and no further details will be released publicly due to patient confidentiality.”

The investigation was launched after a patient died at the Grace Hospital emergency department after waiting 33 hours. The patient was assessed, triaged and had been receiving care at the time of their death.

A critical incident is defined by the province as an unintended event that occurs when health services are provided and results in a consequence to a patient that is “serious, undesired and not the result of an underlying health condition or from a risk inherent in providing health services.”

The investigation will look at what happened and develop recommendations of things that health-care providers can do differently to prevent similar incidents.