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KELOWNA - A case of multiple assaults by a single patient on a number of different employees at Kelowna General Hospital has led to procedural changes and physical improvements designed to increase staff safety, the Interior Health Authority says.

The multiple cases of assault beginning in early January 2018 were confirmed by one of the victims, a worker at the hospital who asked not to be identified.

The worker said they had been punched by a male patient who also assaulted other workers over a period of weeks, although no serious injuries were reported.

Neither the B.C. Nurses Union nor the Interior Health Authority would comment directly on the assaults citing privacy rules, however an incident investigation filed by WorkSafe B.C. in February confirms at least 10 incidents of assault, attempted assault and inappropriate conversations between Jan. 6 and Jan. 31.

While the investigation by WorkSafe B.C. officer Annie Strauss shows management made some attempt to mitigate the risk to workers at the time, including by providing security coverage and reviewing the patient’s care plan, the assaults continued.

WorkSafe B.C. stepped in shortly after the last incident, asking for documentation of the assaults, management training records and the most current violence risk assessment.

It found just 15 of 90 workers on the unit had completed a one-day, face-to-face training course on workplace violence and just one had had taken Code White training. Code White is the common term used by staff when summoning security to a possibly violent incident.

While he would not speak directly to the multiple assaults, Kelowna General Hospital health services administrator Andrew Hughes did send a statement via email.

"As a result of a number of related incidents on our medical unit earlier this year and through a broader violence risk assessment of the site, we have made significant safety improvements to our medical unit and across KGH,” the statement reads.

Hughes said that includes increased violence prevention training but also the installation of convex mirrors to improve lines of sight, secure card access to additional restricted access zones and renovations in problem areas.

From three to five security guards are on duty at the hospital at any one time, not including those in the emergency room, according to Hughes.

"Unfortunately, exposure to violent or aggressive behaviour is something we are faced with working in health care because we are caring for patients who are often in emotional, vulnerable, and in stressful situations that can make their actions unpredictable. This can be stressful and challenging for our staff and physicians,” Hughes said.

With potentially violent patients a regular risk, Hughes says the hospital is now trying a more proactive approach.

"Hospital-wide, we now have security on standby when a potential risk is identified, security on demand for at risk patients, an improved process to identify patients who may be aggressive at the point of triage (when they first arrive at the hospital) and we bring any incident findings to daily staff huddles on our units,” Hughes wrote. "Security is involved in staff huddles where appropriate, so that everyone is kept in the loop."

B.C. Nurses Union would not comment on the assaults although the union representing licensed practical nurses and registered nurses has been running an awareness campaign on television about violence against its members.

In February, the BCNU signed an agreement with the Interior Health Authority sharing the cost of increased security in the hospital’s emergency department.

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