The health authority in New Brunswick has issued an apology to patients who suffered due to inappropriate use of restraints and seclusion rooms, following a report by the province’s ombud. The investigation, led by Ombud Marie-France Pelletier, was prompted by complaints from psychiatric patients at the Restigouche Hospital Centre, managed by Vitalité Health Network, spanning from 2021 to 2023.
Among the reported incidents was a patient who alleged being sexually assaulted by staff while restrained at various body parts, including the limbs, waist, and neck, with a spit hood placed over their head. Other patients were left in seclusion rooms for extended periods, leading them to urinate or defecate on the floor.
Patients were found to have spent anywhere from two to 285 consecutive hours in seclusion rooms and three to 58 consecutive hours physically restrained to a bed. Vitalité Health Network has accepted all recommendations from Pelletier’s report, aiming to enhance policies, monitoring, and documentation regarding the use of restraints and seclusion rooms to prevent such incidents in the future.
According to Sébastien Lagacé, the associate vice-president of mental health and addiction at the francophone hospital network, the necessary changes are underway to ensure the prevention of similar occurrences. Despite the apology from Vitalité, Darrell Tidd, whose son was a resident at the Restigouche Hospital Centre for nearly a decade, stresses the need for tangible improvements.
Former ombud and child and youth advocate, Bernard Richard, expressed concern over the distressing details of the report, highlighting the need for substantial changes in the healthcare system. Lagacé mentioned plans to gather more information from health authorities in the province and provide progress reports over time, aiming to implement all recommendations in a few years.
Pelletier shared instances of more humane treatment practices observed during her investigation. While acknowledging incidents of unnecessary force, she noted instances where staff members showed compassion and care towards patients in distress. The ombud emphasized the importance of monitoring the use of restraints and seclusion in psychiatric care, urging both regional health authorities to take necessary steps.
In response to the ombud’s findings, the English-language Horizon Health Network did not issue an apology but pledged to submit a plan with timelines to address the identified gaps by December. Vice-president community Natasha Lemieux reiterated Horizon’s commitment to enhancing psychiatric care for patients in a safe, dignified, and compassionate manner through collaboration with stakeholders and the ombud’s office.