New Brunswick’s ombudswoman has released a damning report on the province’s use of seclusion rooms and physical restraints in a psychiatric facility for adults.
The 66-page report is based on a nearly two-year investigation by Marie-France Pelletier, who is an independent officer of the legislature.
She initiated the probe following complaints from families and patients at the Restigouche Hospital Centre in northern New Brunswick.
Pelletier says the investigation identified incidents in which staff restrained patients for long periods of time.
She also found staff did not have documentation explaining how orders were given for the use of force or restraints.
The report also says some patients were left in unsanitary seclusion rooms without the means to contact staff.
In 2019, Charles Murray, the province’s ombudsman at the time, uncovered cases of negligence, abuse and unacceptable treatment at Restigouche Hospital Centre.
Following the release of Murray’s report, a $17-million class-action settlement was approved by the Court of King’s Bench in 2023,