Preventable deaths, violent attacks: doctor alleges deteriorating conditions at Fraser Health hospitals

An emergency room physician is blowing the whistle on deteriorating conditions in hospitals managed by B.C.'s Fraser Health Authority — claiming in a lawsuit that her job was threatened after she and other doctors sought to warn patients about a potentially dangerous situation.

Kaitlin Stockton has worked in the emergency rooms at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster and Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody since October 2017, where she claims rapid decline in the past two years has led to "increasingly unsafe and substandard patient care."

She sat down with CBC News to lay out the concerns detailed in the lawsuit — which include the health authority's alleged rejection of a plea to implement a mass casualty protocol in the aftermath of the alleged attack at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver. 

"Patients are falling through the cracks and will continue to fall through the cracks unless something changes," she says.

"Knowing you're not providing standard of care to someone who needs it is a horrible feeling, it is not how I was trained, and it's not what patients deserve."

Stockton filed a notice of civil claim against Fraser Health Authority in B.C. Supreme Court last week, seeking $500,000 for wrongful dismissal and damages for what she claims is "high-handed, arrogant and contemptuous" behaviour.

The lawsuit paints a picture of a toxic work environment, where burnt-out medical professionals endure violent assaults from patients and fear reprisal for speaking publicly. 

Stockton says her concern about the system collapsing now outweighs her fear of speaking out.

CBC News has viewed a letter signed by 50 B.C. emergency room physicians stating they support Stockton's "dedication to advocating for high-quality patient care." They also call for improvements to the emergency care system, for transparency and accountability from Fraser Health and say they require a workplace that is "free from psychological harm."

While the letter says the doctors are not commenting on the specific allegations in Stockton's lawsuit, it says they support her right to pursue legal action against Fraser Health.

Fraser Health told CBC News it does not comment on matters that are before the courts.

In a written response to CBC News, B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne also said she could not comment on the specifics of the case because it was before the courts.

"Speaking more generally, it is essential that health-care workers across the province feel they can raise workplace concerns to their employer," Osborne added. 

"Hearing directly from frontline workers is fundamental as we work together to strengthen public health care in B.C."