Desmond inquiry: 'Desperately needed' care absent in months before N.S. killings
CTV
An inquiry that investigated why a former soldier in Nova Scotia killed three family members and himself in 2017 says health-care professionals could have done a better job of sharing Lionel Desmond's complex medical history.
An inquiry that investigated why a former soldier in Nova Scotia killed three family members and himself in 2017 says health-care professionals could have done a better job of sharing Lionel Desmond's complex medical history.
The much-delayed final report from the provincial fatality inquiry, released Wednesday, includes 25 recommendations aimed at improving supports for Canadian veterans and their families, expanding health-care services for African Nova Scotians and strengthening the firearms licensing process.
"This has been an arduous and emotional process for everyone involved, but hopefully also a worthwhile one," provincial court Judge Paul Scovil said in a written statement.
"The inquiry explored complex issues surrounding intimate partner violence, mental health services, support for veterans and access to firearms. But the evidence also led the inquiry into some areas that may have been less obvious."
Scovil said the inquiry also explored the unique challenges faced by rural residents and African Nova Scotians -- Desmond was Black -- when they try to seek mental health services.
Among other things, the inquiry recommends that Nova Scotia's Health Department provide more virtual care to rural African Nova Scotian communities. As well, the report calls on the department to hire more Black mental health providers to provide "culturally informed" care.
As for Desmond's military health records, the report recommends that the federal government ensure that federal employees diagnosed with PTSD or other health issues receive a copy of their health records, which should then be shared with provincial health authorities.
