The province of Manitoba has stopped tracking the emergency protocol known as "code white," used to alert healthcare staff of violent or aggressive incidents inside hospitals. This decision has raised safety concerns among healthcare workers and union representatives. Code whites are activated when staff or security personnel face aggressive individuals and require assistance to de-escalate the situation. The discontinuation of this tracking system has sparked debate about its impact on hospital safety and operations.
Victoria Hospital witnessed a notable rise in code whites, with a 47% increase in 2018, registering 230 incidents the previous year. The data discontinuation stems from inconsistencies in the previous tracking method, as noted by Tiffany Dewan Reimer, Shared Health's access and privacy officer. This inconsistency has led to questions about the accuracy of past data collection methods.
In an effort to enhance safety, Manitoba hospitals have implemented various measures. Safety officers have been hired at St. Boniface Hospital, Victoria General Hospital, Brandon Regional Health Centre, and Selkirk Mental Health Centre. Furthermore, the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) has made AI-powered weapon scanners a permanent fixture at three entrances after a successful pilot at its downtown campus. These measures aim to mitigate risks following incidents such as the Christmas Eve gunfire event at Thompson's general hospital.
Statistical data from 2019 highlighted the prevalence of code whites in Manitoba hospitals. The Health Sciences Centre recorded 501 code whites in 2018, while Grace Hospital and Victoria General Hospital documented 325 and 339 incidents, respectively. Despite these alarming numbers, Shared Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority are developing a new tracking system and algorithm to capture accurate data on code whites in the future. This initiative aims to address growing concerns about safety and ensure more reliable data collection.
Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, emphasized the importance of this data for developing effective safety strategies within hospitals. She stated:
"That data would be invaluable because we know that violence is escalating in all our facilities. We absolutely know that."
Jackson further criticized the cessation of data tracking as indicative of systemic undervaluation of frontline healthcare workers by employers and the government:
"This is also just an example of the lack of value that employers and government place on front-line health-care workers."
The call for improved tracking and safety measures comes in light of recent assessments by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, which identified HSC as Canada's worst-performing hospital and recommended bolstering safety measures to improve working conditions.
