Northern Health provided a limited response this week to a BC Coroners Service report on the death of a woman who committed suicide shortly after she was released from the psychiatric ward at the University Hospital of the North.
Citing patient confidentiality, Northern Health spokesman Jonathan Dyck said he could not comment directly on the circumstances surrounding the Dec. 16, 2011 death of Susan Siemens, 45.
Dyck did say that in general Northern Health always takes such incidents seriously and reviews its policies and procedures whenever they occur.
"If there is an opportunity after that follow up to improve our procedures, we will certainly implement those changes," Dyck said, and added the reviews involve front-line staff, middle management and senior leadership.
Siemens' family has maintained she should not have been released without a family member present to pick her up because she was suicidal.
Dyck said that when a patient is admitted to a hospital with a mental health concern, families are "kept in the loop throughout the time the patient is in care," until they are discharged but declined to comment specifically on Siemens' case.
According to the coroner's report, Siemens was admitted on Nov. 5, 2011 after overdosing on prescription medication the previous evening.
But by the end of the same month, she had successfully completed a weekend away from the hospital on a pass as she did when given an overnight pass on Dec. 8.
Then, on the afternoon of Dec. 15, Siemens met with her psychiatrist and requested a weekend pass.
"She had plans for the weekend, denied any suicidal ideation at that time, and contracted to return to the hospital if she was not feeling safe," coroner Merrill Flewelling said. "On that basis, she was granted the pass."
Flewelling classified her death as suicide and made no recommendations.
The B.C. Coroners Service declined to comment further on the report and the decision not to make any recommendations when reached earlier in the week.
