VICTORIA — A new report says the British Columbia government failed to meet the legal rights of mentally ill patients who were involuntarily detained in psychiatric facilities during a one-month review, sometimes without admission forms being completed.
The report released by the province's ombudsperson, Jay Chalke, says in some cases specific treatment was not described for individual patients and in other cases doctors did not explain why a patient was being admitted.
It says there were no consent forms for treatment in 24 per cent of patients across all health authorities and one facility, the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia, complied with that requirement only nine per cent of the time.
The report, which reviewed all involuntary admissions in the province in June 2017, says a number of directors of facilities allegedly contravened the Mental Health Act by permitting psychiatric treatment after patients had objected to it.
More than half of involuntary patients also did not sign a form advising them of their legal rights including how to challenge their detention.
The report calls for regular audits, annual performance targets, improved records management and increased reporting to the public, as well as training for staff and physicians on their obligation to meet legal standards.
