Demands for change are growing louder after New Brunswick’s Horizon Health Network confirmed a woman was asked to leave an emergency room and come back later for a sexual assault forensic examination because of staffing shortages.
CTV News has not spoken with the woman, but Horizon and the Fredericton Police Force confirmed details about what happened when an alleged victim of sexual assault sought a rape kit at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital emergency department in Fredericton the night of Aug. 1.
Horizon’s CEO Margaret Melanson said Monday a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) was not available that evening.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is in New Brunswick for a Liberal caucus retreat, commented Tuesday on the story, calling it “horrific” and “unacceptable.”
“As difficult as that story was to hear yesterday, we know there are stories like it happening all across the country,” he said. “People not getting the service and the support that they so deeply need. From people who would like to be giving it, but are stressed and stretched too thin in our medical systems across the country.”
The New Brunswick Nurses Union agreed with that sentiment Tuesday.
President Paula Doucet said the union is “deeply saddened” that another New Brunswicker experienced a health-care system breakdown.
"I am also sadden [sic] that nurses in the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital ER were made to feel somewhat responsible for this breakdown. Nurses at the DECH and across N.B. have been doing their best under the dire circumstances of staff shortages and increased expectations for years,” she said. “Support, training, education, and more professional staff would help to mitigate situations such as these.”
While advocates say counselling and therapy services for survivors have improved in the province, the situation has shone a light on the impact of ongoing staffing shortages.
“The preventing and responding to sexual assault in New Brunswick report released in 2018 called for there to be a SANE nurse in every ER. And there's not. We're nowhere near that,” said Green Party MLA and health critic Megan Mitton.
Melanson told reporters there are 26 SANE nurses across its five regional hospitals, and Horizon’s best practice is to have one of them on call 24/7 -- but that doesn’t include rural hospitals, like Sackville, Sussex or Charlotte County.
“The best outcome is that lip service is not simply paid to the situation, that there is actual action and funding and listening to survivors,” Mitton said. “It’s not a mystery of what is needed.”
Horizon is reviewing its policies and practices, promising to ensure there is always a trained nurse ready should someone need their help.
Late Monday, Premier Blaine Higgs said he was also “horrified” to learn the details of the case.
He said he’s spoken with Melanson, to “stress that this situation needs to be addressed immediately.”
“I was assured going forward that any victim of sexual assault will receive the services they need when they need them. I will be following up to ensure that is indeed the case,” he said in a statement to CTV News.
