Results of Moncton Hospital ER death review may not be made public

The New Brunswick health minister says he sympathizes with those who rallied outside the Moncton Hospital on the weekend after a local man died at the emergency department waiting for care, but neither Bruce Fitch nor the Horizon Health Network are shedding any more light on what happened that night.

New Brunswickers may never know what exactly happened to the husband and father of five, who was triaged as an emergency priority Tuesday night, when the ER was in a "critical overcapacity state."

He allegedly told staff numerous times he believed he was dying, and ultimately did die after waiting some six hours to see a doctor or nurse.

A Horizon review is underway, but the results and any recommendations won't necessarily be made public.

Horizon directed CBC inquiries to the Department Health.

The department, meanwhile, redirected inquiries back to Horizon.

"The reviews are managed by the Horizon Health Network. You should ask them about the status of those reviews," spokesperson Adam Bowie said in an email.

The minister was unavailable for an interview Monday, but said in an emailed statement he was "made aware of the incident," and knows Horizon is "looking into what happened."

WATCH | Patient's death provokes rally in Moncton for better health care 

Fitch offered condolences to the family and friends of the individual who died, identified by members of the Moncton Muslim Association with his family's permission by the initials MS only, to protect their privacy.

"I share the desire of those who gathered outside the hospital this weekend to see improved access to health-care services," Fitch said.

"We know there are challenges in the health-care system — serious challenges here at home, and across the country, and around the globe — arising from the ongoing shortage of physicians and nurses and other frontline health professionals.

Fitch said he believes the provincial health plan is a roadmap to better service.

"We all deserve access to quality health-care services, and we're working to improve things every day."

No 'meaningful interaction' with doctor or nurse

MS, a former kidney transplant patient, underwent a medical procedure last Monday and was instructed to return to the ER immediately if he had back or chest pain, according to the Muslim Association. He went to the ER the next day with severe back and chest pain and was told to take a seat in the waiting room at around 10 p.m.

He had some scans done shortly before midnight, but was sent back to the waiting room, the group said. "

"Witnesses report that over his stay he told hospital staff numerous times that he believed he was dying," the association said in a statement. The association did not identify the witnesses or say whether they were family.

By 3:30 a.m., MS was dead, "not having had a meaningful interaction a doctor or nurse until collapsing in the emergency waiting room," the association said.

Horizon declined to comment Monday on the allegation MS told hospital staff he believed he was dying, or that he presented to the ER as instructed, based on his symptoms, following his medical procedure.

"Horizon respects the public's right to peaceful demonstration, and we recognize the concerns expressed by those who gathered outside the Moncton Hospital this past weekend," Dr. Serge Melanson, clinical lead of emergency services said in an emailed statement.

Asked what assurances Horizon can offer people who visit ERs that their emergency needs will be met, Melanson said health-care organizations across Canada are experiencing "systemic challenges in being able to provide timely access to emergency care, and Horizon is certainly no different.

"We are taking action each day to address the complex, multi-layered factors that contribute to these issues. We are confident these actions will enhance patient access, flow and experience in our emergency departments."

Fredericton ER death review results not public

The results of a Horizon review following the death of another patient who was waiting for care at the Fredericton ER last summer have not been made public.

Again, neither Horizon nor Department of Health officials would say why or if they will be.

Horizon conducted a "thorough" review after a patient died in the emergency department of the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in July, said Margaret Melanson, interim president and CEO.

"This review was completed in August and all findings were communicated to the family of the deceased at that time," she said in an emailed statement.

A man described as a senior in a wheelchair died alone in the waiting room, according to witness John Staples. It was only during a routine check of people in the waiting room that a hospital employee realized the man had stopped breathing, Staples had said.

That patient's death prompted Premier Blaine Higgs to drop Dorothy Shephard as health minister and fire then-Horizon president and CEO Dr. John Dornan. He also revoked the boards of both Horizon and Vitalité health networks and installed in their place a trustee for each.

On Monday, Fitch thanked health-care workers who are "toiling away" under pressure for their "dedication and determination during these difficult times."

Similarly, Dr. Serge Melanson thanked Horizon's "resilient and committed" emergency teams who work "tirelessly to provide the best possible care to each and every patient under extremely challenging circumstances."

"Together, with our dedicated team, partners and communities, we will deliver quality health care to everyone in our province who needs it," he said.