Jury recommends 'timely' investigations after inquest into Hillsborough suicide

An inquest jury praised Health PEI for its response to a 2010 suicideat HillsboroughHospital, saying the internal review that followed the deathprovided a "strong model" to try to prevent future institutional deaths, and said a similar review should be conducted any time there is an unnatural death in an institution.

Testimony began and finished Monday at an inquest into a death by suicide at HillsboroughHospital in Charlottetown in 2010.The six-person jurydeliberated Tuesday morning and made a series of recommendations for the province.

Catherine ShirleyGillis, 69, died on Feb. 14, 2010. Because she was an involuntary patient at the mental healthhospital, an inquest wasrequired by provincial legislation.

The inquest heard on Monday that an internal review in 2010 resulted in 20 recommendations, all of which were implemented.

The jury heardtestimony on Monday about the reasons for the delay in holding the required inquest, which cameeight years afterGillisdied.

The jury recommendedany incident reports, autopsies and subsequent investigations be completed in a timely manner any time there is a death in a public institution considered unnatural, such as a suicide or a violent death.

Look to Nova Scotia for protocols

Among its recommendations, the jury saidP.E.I. should review the protocols of the Nova Scotia medical examinerand consider using critical care nurses trained in forensic pathology to help conduct investigations through the coroner's office.

It also said the coroner's office should institute a checklist including all data and forms to be included with an investigation.

Another recommendation was forinstitutional deaths to be listed separately in the annual report from the chief coroner to the attorney general's office.

The jury also recommended Health PEI institute electronic health records within public facilities to provide a verifiable, formal record of a patient's health and well-being, something counsel for Health PEI said has already been done.

These recommendations will now be forwarded to the chief coroner and to P.E.I.'s minister of justice.

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