By Cheryl Jahn

Health Minister takes heat over leaked Northern Health memo

Apr 4, 2024 | 3:46 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – “Shameful.” That’s how Health Critic Shirley Bond described the government’s response to criticisms around a leaked memo with respect to drug use in hospital settings.

“We’ve been hearing from nurses all across British Columbia that they are facing unbelievable workplace situations and that includes drug use, the potential that people have weapons in hospitals and their jobs are tough enough as it is.”

The Northern Health memo reads, in part: “With decriminalization of possession of drugs/substances (small amounts for personal use), staff should not be searching a patient’s personal belongings and taking away, or holding onto their substances. These can remain with the patient. In circumstances where it is required (e.g. psychiatric intensive care), staff are required to follow the safe keeping of patients and residents valuables policy.”

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It continues: “We are not law enforcement; we have never been responsible for ensuring patients/clients are not in possession of unlawful substances. Our responsibility is the safe care of our patients/clients, with the idea that when thinking about safety, we are considering the safety of the patient, our other patients, visitors, staff and physicians all within the balance of what is reasonable.”

Health Minister Adrian Dix took some heat in Question Period.

“I have visited in the last few months 31 public hospitals, every one of them. I met with nurses and we’ve addressed issues of code whites and security for nurses, for health sciences professionals, for health care workers. In every one of them, we work together to ensure that people are safer in our public hospitals and in other health care facilities.”