ER death inquest recommendations will take years to implement: report

WINNIPEG – Many recommendations from an inquest into the death of Brian Sinclair during a 34-hour wait in a Winnipeg hospital emergency room will take years to implement.

That’s the conclusion of a team sifting through the 63 suggestions from the Brian Sinclair inquest.

In an interim report, the team highlights some recommendations that could be put into practice quickly, but said many will take longer.

The report says it will take up to two years to decide if it’s appropriate to have an aboriginal elder and a security guard posted in emergency departments.

READ MORE: Brian Sinclair’s family calls ER death report ‘wasted opportunity’

Other recommendations — such as ensuring staff intervene when a patient starts vomiting in a waiting room — can be implemented more quickly.

Sinclair, a 45-year-old double-amputee, died of a treatable bladder infection while waiting for care just over six years ago at Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre.

Sinclair spoke to a triage aide before wheeling himself into the waiting room, but he was never seen by a triage nurse or registered as a patient. He languished in the emergency room for hours, vomiting and slowly dying. He was never asked if he was waiting for medical care.

READ MORE: Coalition says it will pick up where ER death inquest left off

Some staff testified that they assumed he was drunk or homeless. By the time he was discovered dead, rigor mortis had set in.

“Through collective efforts, dedication and commitment, Manitoba health care organizations can work to prevent tragedies, such as the death of Mr. Sinclair, from occurring in the future,” the interim report said.