Serena Perry inquest will include confidential mental health records

A Court of Queen's Bench judge has issued an order allowing the provincial coroner access to confidential mental health records in preparation for the inquest into the Saint John Regional Hospital death of Serena Perry.

Such records are normally protected by both the province's Mental Health Act and the Personal Health Information Privacy and Access Act.

But lawyers for the coroner's office and Horizon Health Network argued in Saint John on Friday for the right to use Perry's mental health records, as well as those of two unnamed male patients, who were seen with Perry before she died on Feb. 14, 2012.

Justice Thomas Christie agreed to allow the records to be reviewed and potentially introduced during the inquest, which is scheduled to begin on May 8.

The order specifies there is to be no public access to the information in the health records during the inquest, which is meant to determine the facts surrounding Perry's death and examine how the hospital handled matters the night she died.

Perry, 22, was under the care of the psychiatric unit when her body was discovered in the hospital's amphitheatre, which is located in another section of the facility.

Coroner John Evans and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses during the three-week public inquest.

The jury will then have the opportunity to make recommendations to prevent a similar incident.

Saint John Police Chief Bill Reid had requested the coroner's office hold a public inquest into Perry's death after he announced in June 2013 no charges would be laid in the case, which was being treated as a homicide.

Although police had a suspect, a male patient also under the care of the psychiatric unit, a forensic examination could not determine the cause of her death, police said.

The chief had previously questioned why hospital staff did not call 911 until 12:20 a.m., up to an hour after Perry's body was found.

Hospital officials said at the time the delay was normal for a death in a hospital setting as medical professionals attempt to revive the person.

The New Brunswick Coroner Service is an independent fact-finding agency. It does not make any findings of legal responsibility.