An internal audit of eight Interior hospitals, including Vernon, certainly generates some cause for concern.
Among the breaches the auditors discovered were unattended medication carts, patient ID bands not being checked before drugs were administered and medication poured into cups that were not labelled.
In all of these cases, there are potential negative consequences for patients.
The Interior Health Authority deserves praise as 12 audit recommendations for improvement have been completed or are in the process of being initiated. That quick action is reassuring for anyone who may find themselves admitted in hospital.
However, there is always room for improvement, particularly since auditors only found 56 per cent compliance with standard practices and policy at the eight hospitals. For Vernon Jubilee Hospital, there was a compliance rate of 60 per cent, among the highest in the region.
Among the apparent factors for staff’s non-adherence are workload stress, interruptions and aging and failing equipment. On top of this, the B.C. Nurses Union cites a lack of staff and more sick patients as reasons why compliance levels are low.
Heather Cook, IHA chief nursing officer, says it’s challenging to quantify if the newly initiated measures have reduced patient risk, and that is fair given the fact there is always an element of risk when medication is involved.
But IHA and its medical professionals need to be as open and transparent as possible about their procedures and changes being made. After all, it is only through communication that patients can feel confident about the care they are receiving.
