MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 5, 2018
Media conference will be held at 10:30am
LONDON, Ontario – Today, London Police Service announced that they have charged Vincent Gauthier, an Electroencephalogram (EEG) Technician at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), with overcoming resistance by administering or attempting to administer drug and one count of sexual assault of a patient. Vincent Gauthier’s employment at LHSC has been terminated.
“I speak on behalf of our entire hospital when I say that we are extremely concerned and dismayed that this may have happened at LHSC,” says Dr. Paul Woods, President and CEO of London Health Sciences Centre. “Our primary concern is for the wellbeing of the patient who came forward. Upon being notified of this situation we quickly took steps to launch an investigation and remove the employee from all patient care duties within our hospital. We will also be proactively reaching out to patients who would have had EEGs performed by Mr. Gauthier in an unsupervised capacity to ensure no other patients have concerns regarding their procedure.”
Mr. Gauthier worked at both University and Victoria Hospitals since 2015 and patients and families are encouraged to reach out to LHSC if they have concerns with the care they have received and potential interactions with Vincent Gauthier. LHSC has set up a dedicated phone line which can be reached at 1-888-443-9202.
“This type of accusation represents a most serious breach of trust between health care provider and patient, and does not embody the actions of thousands of staff and physicians at LHSC who are dedicated to providing the best care to our patients,” said Dr. Wood. “We wish to assure the public that safe and high-quality care is, and will remain, our top priority.”
The hospital will continue to assist London police with their investigation of these serious allegations. The London Police Service requests that anyone who would like to report a sexual assault contact them at (519) 661-5670.
A media conference will be held at Victoria Hospital today - Tuesday, June 5 - at 10:30am to address the hospital’s response since learning of these allegations. Media must be escorted into the hospital by Communications staff and are asked to call (519) 685-8500 Ext. 76760 for meeting location and to register your attendance.
Note – Individual media interviews will not be facilitated.
About London Health Science Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been at the forefront of medicine in Canada for 143 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, the Kidney Care Centre, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 65 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca
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For media inquiries contact:
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500, ext. 76760
After-hours and weekend assistance:
Call LHSC Switchboard at 519-685-8500 and ask to page the communication consultant on-call.
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