A damning report by provincial ombudsman Charles Murray about the treatment of patients in the mental health centre at the Restigouche Hospital Centre in Campbellton detail serious incidents of mistreatment of patients.
In the report, Murray says there is an ongoing safety risk to both patients and staff at RHC and corrective measures are urgently needed.
He also says chronic understaffing has eroded the culture and service model and attempts to change it have not succeeded.
Green Party leader David Coon calls preparing this report very difficult work.
“It was very hard work to do. They interviewed families including the family of the patient who passed away so, you can imagine the toll it took on them but, nothing like the toll it’s surely taken on the families and on the patients.” Coon said.
In his report, Murray acknowledged the repeated efforts made by staff to address the significant challenges noting in some cases staff sacrificed their personal lives and emotional well-being.
In addition to downgrading services at the hospital, Murray wants the Higgs government to reconsider the plan for the construction of a youth mental health facility nearby adding a new facility would experience the same recruitment problems.
He wants the province to respond to his report within 90 days before determining if his office needs to carry out a more extensive investigation.
Follow
