Couple wants changes to emergency care outside P.E.I. hospital

Arch and Sherry Wilson of Howe Bay, P.E.I., are hoping Health PEI improves the way staff deal with emergency care outside their medical facilities.

They said they were denied emergency assistance at the Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague, P.E.I., on Good Friday after Arch slipped on the ice and fell hard down six steps.

The fall left the 70-year-old in extreme pain and he was unable to sit down or bend.

Sherry drove her husband in their truck to the hospital for emergency care, but once there, she said no one from the hospital would would come out and help them.

"I was in a right old state but trying to keep a lid on it obviously because I was the one that was fit and healthy and had to deal with it, but I'm just thinking, 'what am I going to do now?'," said Sherry.

Offered wheelchair

Sherry was offered a wheelchair by hospital staff but since Arch couldn't sit or bend, she said she needed someone to help her get him inside.

But she said the hospital staff refused, claiming their assistance could hurt him further.

"I could have been within a few minutes of death and it was of no concern of them whatsoever, they didn't pop their head out the door, they hid, they hid," said Arch.

After a helpful bystander called 911, Island EMS arrived within minutes. Paramedics put Arch in the ambulance where he said he was given an IV and morphine for pain.

Instead of being taken from the parking lot into the Kings County Memorial Hospital, Arch was transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, which is 30 minutes away.

Arch said he received excellent care at the hospital but said he is still bothered by the lack of compassion shown to him at the hospital in Montague.

"Someone wouldn't give me five minutes out of their eight hour day to help me, and they should have done."

Health PEI issued a statement to CBC regarding the incident.

"We fully understand the concerns of this couple and we regret their experience. Health PEI's CEO has spoken directly with them and apologized for not providing more explanation and assistance," the statement said.

Arch said they weren't contacted by the CEO, Michael Mayne, until after they had spoken with a reporter. 

Health PEI reviewing policies

Health PEI said it reviewed the incident and was meeting with staff to identify ways to be more helpful in the future.

"The hospital is reviewing its procedures and is developing written policies and procedures on how staff should respond to non-life threatening injuries or incidents that arise on facility grounds, including parking lots. The policy will clarify the circumstance when, in the best interest and safety of the patient and staff, the assistance and expertise of Island EMS is required.

The decision to engage Island EMS may be based on several factors, such as the physical location of the of the situation in relation to the hospital, the nature of the patient's illness or injury, the availability of staff who have expertise in safely stabilizing or moving an individual without creating further injury, and whether the individual requires transport to another facility for more specialized care."

Meanwhile, Arch is home and continues to recover from his fall. He hopes things improve for people who require assistance when they show up at the emergency room in Montague.