MEDIA STATEMENT
For immediate release:
January 31, 2019
As a requirement of a negotiated settlement with the Ontario Labour Relations Board, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) implemented a revised policy regarding the screening and flagging of patients with the potential for violence this past May. The policy, which applies to all patients receiving care at LHSC, and its embedded Behaviour Safety Alert (BSA) process continue to be a priority for LHSC as we uphold our commitment to ensuring the safety of all individuals receiving care, working at, or visiting our hospital. At the same time, LHSC has also remained committed to listening to our patients and their families as we continued to work meaningfully with our care teams to determine what steps could be taken to address any concerns, while still honouring the terms of the settlement agreement.
Further to that commitment, and as part of our standard policy review process, LHSC is taking steps to review its application of the violence screening tool, while still allowing for compliance with the Minutes of Settlement. These steps include in-person consultations with patients and their families, as well as undertaking an analysis of data over a six-month period to further understand the impact of the tool and scoring system, and identify opportunities to improve the BSA process. We are targeting to have consultation and analysis complete by spring 2019 and the findings will be presented to relevant LHSC committees for review, including our Joint Health and Safety Committee.
We look forward to working collaboratively to review concerns that have come forward with respect to this policy process while maintaining our commitment to ensuring the safety of everyone at LHSC.
Susan Nickle
EVP and Chief People Officer
London Health Sciences Centre
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MEDIA STATEMENT
For immediate release
November 13, 2019
Statement regarding London Health Sciences Centre’s Flagging and Management of Patient, Family and Visitor Risk for Violent Behaviour Policy
In May of this year, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) implemented a revised policy regarding the screening and flagging of patients with the potential for violence as a requirement of a negotiated settlement with the Ontario Labour Relations Board. The policy applies to all patients at LHSC. Inpatients in all services, Emergency Department and all mental health service patients are screened for risk of violence at the time of admission or visit. Outpatients in all other services are screened if they have been previously flagged, or if concerns of risk present in the waiting areas.
Per the updated policy, once a patient has been flagged for a risk of violence, LHSC is required to communicate this risk to others. This is most frequently achieved via an armband, though patients have the right to refuse to wear the armband. If an armband is refused, the care team will assess the individual circumstances and determine what alternate means they will use to visually communicate the risk to others while taking care to ensure the integrity of the therapeutic relationship with the patient is maintained. Patients also have the right to appeal a flag at any time by contacting Patient Relations.
LHSC is compelled to enforce use of the screening tool in this manner, and we are continuing to work with staff and physicians to ensure understanding of the policy and its application. We also continue to listen to our patients and their families, and work meaningfully with our care teams to determine what steps can be taken to address any concerns, while still honouring the terms of the settlement agreement and upholding our commitment to ensuring the safety of all individuals receiving care, working at, or visiting LHSC.
Susan Nickle
EVP and Chief People Officer
London Health Sciences Centre
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