Posted on: April 29, 2024
On Friday, April 26, Premier David Eby announced a comprehensive set of actions to enhance staff, medical staff, patient and visitor safety; and increase supports and improve care for individuals living with addiction and substance use while in British Columbia hospitals and in the community.
Staff and medical staff safety is paramount at Island Health. The actions announced today – including a consistent provincial approach to drug possession and use in hospitals; addressing aggression, non-compliance with policy, and drug dealing in hospitals; and investing in additional resources and improved education and awareness to better equip teams and individuals facing unsafe situations – will increase safety for our teams who work hard each and every day supporting all patients needing our care, including patients living with substance use.
We should be proud of our role as a provincial leader in supporting people actively living with addiction and doing this work with compassion and care. Moving forward, today's announcement sets us on the path to improving treatment and recovery services, increasing in-person and virtual addiction specialist consultation support, increasing availability and accessibility of opioid-agonist treatment, and improving our overdose prevention services.
In discussions today, I reflected on how these actions can help strengthen other key pillars of a holistic response to this incredibly challenging chronic disease.
Some of you and your colleagues have been working with counterparts in the Provincial Government, other health authorities, and with health system partners to bring about the actions announced today. These individuals will continue to work over the coming days and weeks to bring these actions to life through policy direction, investments, and other activities so we can realize the full benefit of what was announced today.
To be clear, today is about announcing the direction we are taking to enhance safety and improve care. Our current policies and practices are to be followed until new direction is formally communicated to you. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to speak with your manager.
As I've experienced in my conversations with staff, medical staff, patients, and the public, and as we've seen in public discussion, this is a topic which people are passionate about and have strong views.
Many of our mental health and addiction services colleagues have moved mountains over the past several years, in particular responding to the toxic drug public health emergency with new and innovative solutions to incredibly complex challenges. Please know we all appreciate everything you have done to support those who need our help, and that today we hold you up as you process some of what was announced earlier this afternoon.
My ask of all members of the Island Health family is as we work through implementing these changes, we continue to act and engage with patients and families, and each other, living our C.A.R.E. values.
That is how we will move forward through this important work and move forward together in pursuit of our Vision of excellent health and care for everyone, everywhere, every time.