Patient transfer fallout: elderly woman claims she wasn't notified her husband was being moved from LHSC
An elderly London woman says she’s angry her husband was transferred from London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) to Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance in Stratford, more than 80 kilometres away, without her being notified.
“Oh, I said then this is a hand-picked situation,” said Sue Morrison of her conversation with an official from LHSC. “That you’ve decided here we have an 87-year-old man who is confused, due to COVID we’ll get rid of him to bring in outside people.”
More than 46 years married, 85-year-old Sue tells CTV News London she’s the sole caregiver for her husband, Eugene Morrison.
She explained that Eugene was admitted to LHSC Christmas Eve due to issues concerning his hypothyroidism. During his time in hospital, he began to go through spells of confusion.
She said last Thursday she found out he was being moved. By then, she said the wheels were already in motion.
“I said why hasn’t someone notified me or at least had the courtesy to notify me. They claim that he said no one needed to be called. Well he was…for sure confused because always he’s always said, ‘You call my wife,’ or ‘Call Sue.’
The couple’s close friend, Deb Eckenstein, was on hand Monday to console Sue. She said she’s appalled at how the elderly couple appears to have been treated.Sue and Jim Morrison (Sourse: Sue Morrison)“Eighty-five and 87, who does this kind of thing to them? You know it’s rotten, what happened to them,” Eckenstein said.
Facing capacity challenges, LHSC announced last week it would be transferring patients to regional hospitals. Some out-of-town patients would be repatriated to hospitals in their home communities, while a number of London patients would also be moved.
LHSC’s Executive Vice President Carol Young-Ritchie told CTV News London the hospital could not comment on individual patient cases, even with the family’s permission. However, she added that typically the hospital works with families on patient transfers, and if someone believes the system failed, they’re willing to listen.
“We don’t make statements about individual cases but if the family wants to contact me, I’m happy to make sure they get connected to the right people to follow up,” said Young-Ritchie. “You know, honestly, I appreciate this is difficult for families and we’re happy to look into this and see what happened and try to make improvements if we dropped the ball on this. But again, that was not our intent to that family, and we will certainly follow that up.”
As for Sue Morrison, she’s hoping Eugene can be transferred again, but to a closer hospital so she can visit him every day, just as she has for most of the last month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.