Stanton Hospital taking steps to improve security

Temporary measures are being taken to beef up security at Stanton Territorial Hospital after multiple violent incidents led employeesto call forchanges.

Currently, Stanton's security staff are not trained to physically intervene when patients get violent, such as in January, when aCode White,which brings staff from all units to respond to an aggressive patient, was called after an inpatient became extremely violent.

Thatsituation followeda November incident in which a patientwent on a violent rampage, throwing equipment and threatening security staff.

OnThursday in the legislature, Glen Abernethy, Minister of Health and Social Services, said that starting today, changes will be made to increase security at Stanton.

Abernethy said there are will be different security officers in the facility with additional training,plus one extra security officer, also with a higher level of training, for the emergency ward.

He stressed that these actions were temporary, and that the ministry is awaiting recommendations on permanent measures from a specialty consultant, who reviewed Stanton's layout and security policies.

Today in the Legislative Assembly, Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley is expected tomakea motionurging the government to hire security personnel trained to use physical-restraint techniques.

Bromleyisrecommending the security staff be government employees, instead of employees of private contractors.

On Friday, Sheila Laity, union representative for Stanton, told the CBC that she had not been informed of the changes.