News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

March 11, 2019

Review of Safety, Security at Manitoba Health-care Facilities Ordered

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Evaluation Will Help Province Develop Plan to Enhance Standards at Facilities: Friesen

The Manitoba government has issued a request for proposals to review security programs, services and systems at key health-care facilities across the province, Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen announced today.

“It is our responsibility to ensure health-care facilities throughout the province are safe and secure for patients, visitors and staff,” said Friesen.  “This review will report back on the varying levels of staffing and training standards currently in place at these facilities, and create a plan to ensure the continued safety for all Manitobans visiting or working at these facilities.”

Provincial standards do not currently exist to guide requirements at Manitoba health-care facilities.  As a result, the levels of security presence and staff training vary from facility to facility throughout the province.  The review will evaluate and benchmark Manitoba facilities in comparison to similar sites across the country.  
    
The review will include interviews with security staff at each site and an evaluation of policies and data in a variety of areas including current security programs and processes, staff duties, contingency and response plans, and security orientation and training plans.  Reviewers will also look at physical security including available security equipment, alarm systems and other key security features.  They will assess security reporting and data analysis.

Manitoba’s largest hospital, Health Sciences Centre (HSC) Winnipeg, recently implemented a number of enhancements to improve security at its campus.  Those initiatives included hiring additional security staff, enhancing training, limiting access points to the HSC campus overnight and equipping staff with personal alarms.

The intent of this review is to build upon these improvements by further evaluating security at HSC, then extend the analysis to other facilities, both in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) and other, larger health facilities located in rural and northern parts of the province.

“Our staff, visitors and patients need and deserve to feel safe,” said Réal Cloutier, president and CEO, WRHA.  “Getting expert opinion in this area is part of our overall strategy to improve the safety and security in our health-care facilities.”

Facilities outside of Winnipeg that may be part of the review include Brandon, Dauphin, Swan River, Thompson, Flin Flon, The Pas, Selkirk, Pine Falls, Boundary Trails Health Centre, Portage la Prairie, Steinbach and Eden Mental Health Centre in Winkler.

“While facilities across rural Manitoba will continue to have different security needs depending on the services they offer, the patients they treat and where they are located, this review will allow us to strengthen our security plans and achieve a more consistent approach across the province,” said Dr. Denis Fortier, chair, Manitoba Clinical Leadership Council.

As part of the review, the supplier will make summary and specific recommendations about the observed, reported and assessed issues at each site.  

“We are committed to doing all we can to make health-care facilities and sites safe for everyone,” said Friesen.  “By seeking advice from security experts, we can make changes to enhance safety and security while ensuring people get the care they need.”

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