Latest news with #KaitlinStockton
Global News
6 days ago
- Health
- Global News
Fraser Health wants whistleblowing ER doctor's lawsuit thrown out
Fraser Health has filed its response to a lawsuit from a whistleblowing emergency room doctor, and it wants to see the case dismissed. Dr. Kaitlin Stockton filed the suit earlier this year, claiming the health authority singled her out and retaliated against her after she publicly highlighted unsafe working conditions and hospital overcrowding. In November of last year, Stockton posted a notice in the ER waiting area of Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody, warning patients of a shortage of capacity and resources. 1:10 Residents demand action after Delta Hospital emergency room closed overnight The suit claims that Stockton obtained permission from her local department head to post the notice, but that instead of addressing the problematic conditions, the health authority issued a statement calling the signs 'false,' then used CCTV footage to identify her, then to allegedly threaten her right to work in the hospital and to file a complaint with her regulator. Story continues below advertisement In its response to the suit, Fraser Health argues the court does not have the jurisdiction to hear the case, and says it should instead be dealt with through internal arbitration and mediation. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Stockton, however, told Global News she deliberately filed the suit in the court system with the goal of ensuring transparency. 'There's been huge public outcry about this case, and, unfortunately, it hasn't really moved the needle — we continue to see outrageously unsafe conditions for patients, for providers,' she said. 'This just puts extra scrutiny on that reality that we're facing right now, so I think it's in the best interest of Fraser Health to make this story go away.' Kathryn Marshall, Stockton's lawyer, said it's common for large companies and organizations to push for private arbitration, which she said can keep sensitive or controversial information from reaching the public. 0:56 Health-care worker assaulted at Port Moody hospital She contrasted that with the Canadian court system, in which both court proceedings and documents filed in court are open and accessible to the public. Story continues below advertisement 'So I think the question that needs to be raised to Fraser Health authority is why? Why are they trying to take this case out of the public sphere and have it dealt with behind closed doors? What's the reason?' she said. 'I think the answer is obvious to me, but I'd like to hear them say it, which is that they don't want public scrutiny or exposure on the issues that are in Dr. Stockman's case. They want to hide that.' Earlier this week, the emergency room at Delta Hospital was closed overnight with short notice, the latest in an ongoing series of ER closures and diversions throughout the province. 2:14 Former Fraser Health CEO's severance package sparks debate Those closures have typically been attributed to a shortage of available physicians or nurses. Stockton said she remains compelled to speak out publicly because the province's health care system is in 'freefall.' Story continues below advertisement 'We're no longer dealing with cracks in the foundation, like the roof has fallen in. This is unacceptable,' she said. 'And unfortunately, it's going to get worse unless health authorities and our government, first of all, acknowledge that there is a problem and secondly, pour all of their resources and energy into retaining the physicians and nurses that we have … who are leaving in record numbers because the workplace is not safe.' Asked for an interview, Fraser Health said it did not comment on pending litigation. –with files from Rumina Daya
Toronto Sun
10-06-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
ER doctor sues Fraser Health for wrongful dismissal, alleges workplace bullying
Emergency room doctor was reprimanded for posting notice about long waiting times Dr. Kaitlin Stockton. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG An emergency room doctor is suing the Fraser Health Authority, alleging she was effectively fired for posting a letter to the public from doctors working a shift in November at the hospital in Port Moody. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Dr. Kaitlin Stockton, who has worked at Eagle Ridge Hospital and at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster for over seven years, has filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court seeking damages for wrongful dismissal and bad faith, plus aggravated and punitive damages. It alleges she was constructively dismissed, meaning she is essentially being forced to resign, because Fraser Health failed to provide her with a workplace free from harassment and bullying after she said she was singled out and disciplined for posting the letter in the Eagle Ridge emergency room on behalf of the other doctors on shift on Nov. 18, 2024. She said the letter told patients that delays that day were caused by unsafe and overcrowded conditions, which that day had led to unacceptable waiting times at Eagle Ridge because of a shortage of staff and the use of ER beds for hospital patients. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She said she had permission from the head of the ER department to put up the letter to let patients know about what was causing delays. It also urged visitors to the emergency room to call MLA Mike Farnworth to 'please help us advocate to keep the emergency department beds open for emergency department patients so that we can do our jobs.' She said she the hospital was unhappy with the news stories about the sign. Fraser Health issued a news release calling the sign false but failed to address the doctors' concerns that led to its posting, the lawsuit says. Hospital executives told her authority executives were 'extremely angry' and accused Stockton of 'misinforming the public' in breach of the Canadian Medical Association's code of conduct. They threatened to revoke her hospital privileges and file a complaint with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. if she didn't write an apology and admit her 'wrongdoing,' her lawsuit said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I've had my life turned upside down since then,' she said, saying she has suffered psychological harm. 'It sort of blew my life apart, and I really did nothing wrong.' Her lawyer, Kathryn Marshall, said Stockton continues to work in emergency room, but 'under duress,' and will continue to fight for safer working conditions and less overcrowding. The lawsuit said that, management has ignored staff's warnings about shortages, including of security officers, for years. That has led to unsafe conditions for staff and patients, including verbal assaults, threats and serious attacks against nurses, which has caused some to be off work for extended periods. It lists a number of attacks. The lawsuit alleges the critical shortage on that particularly hectic day in the emergency room led to doctors posting the sign about resource shortages. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It says administrators refused to activate a 'code orange' or divert ambulances several times, including on Nov. 18, in the past six months when 'critical overcapacity' left doctors unable to safely care for critically ill patients. And on April 26, the day of the Lapu Lapu festival, when 11 people were killed and dozens injured by a suspect driving a vehicle into the crowd, Eagle Ridge was told to get ready to receive 10 patients yet the doctors' request for a code orange was again refused. A code orange is activated when an event overwhelms the hospital's resources and allows emergency protocols to be activated. Fraser Health 'refuses to take these conditions seriously,' according to the lawsuit. 'This isn't only about staff, it's about patients not getting the care they need,' Stockton said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The sign was posted on behalf of a group of doctors but the hospital said it was investigating Stockton because she was seen on security video posting it, the lawsuit said. Three days later, a lawyer for a medical workers advocacy group demanded an apology from what the lawsuit called the executives' 'workplace harassment and bullying' and demanded that Stockton not be disciplined. Stockton filed a 'respectful workplace complaint' along the same lines, but Fraser Health did not respond, saying later it accepted Stockton's explanation and considered the matter closed. The lawsuit alleges 'Dr. Stockton's employment was constructively dismissed as a direct result of the health authorities failure to comply with its legal obligation' to provide her with a workplace free from harassment and bullying by hospital executives. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Fraser Health didn't investigate her complaint and are therefore condoning the behaviour and it 'facilitated the toxic workplace,' the lawsuit said. 'Dr. Stockton has repeatedly inquired about how FHA (Frasr Health) plans on preventing the events of Nov. 18, 2024, from happening again and for instructions about how Dr. Stockton should proceed if she is again faced with a similar situation,' the lawsuit said. 'To date, no meaningful responses or actions have been provided.' The lawsuit said the two hospitals are routinely operating with four to six unfilled doctor shifts every day and waiting times have skyrocketed to 10 to 14 hours and there is also an increase in patients who leave without being seen. Health Minister Josie Osborne said in an email she wouldn't comment on the specifics but said it's 'essential' health-care workers feel they can raise workplace concerns. Fraser Health has 21 days to file a response in court. A spokeswoman in an email said it won't comment on active lawsuits. None of the allegations have been proven in court. Read More Toronto Blue Jays Editorial Cartoons World Ontario Olympics
CBC
09-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Preventable deaths, violent attacks: doctor alleges deteriorating conditions at Fraser Health hospitals
Social Sharing 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." One fateful shift 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. CBC News reached out to Fraser Health for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time. According to Stockton's lawsuit, her experience culminated in one shift, on Nov. 18, 2024, when she and other medical staff chose to warn patients that the emergency room at Eagle Ridge hospital was reaching a breaking point. Stockton says as her shift progressed, conditions became "wildly unsafe" as patients spilled into hallways and packed the waiting room. Physicians on shift reached out to a series of senior leaders, asking for a number of measures including offloading patients to different areas of the hospital, cancelling elective surgeries and diverting ambulances. But those requests were allegedly denied. With conditions in the ER spiralling, the lawsuit claims doctors hatched a plan. With the approval of a local department head, Stockton and her colleagues decided to post a sign warning patients the hospital was short on resources and patients needing care would face lengthy delays, the lawsuit says. The sign called the wait times "unacceptable" and urged patients to contact the provincial government. "The sign was shared on social media by patients, and two news outlets ran a story about the sign," the lawsuit claims. "Instead of taking the time to reflect and take accountability for their inaction, which ultimately contributed to severe patient harm and moral injury among the staff working that day, [the health authority] issued a press statement calling the sign 'false.'" Executives 'extremely angry' The lawsuit alleges that after Fraser Health obtained CCTV footage of Stockton placing the sign, they used it to "single out, bully, and threaten" her. She claims she was told Fraser Health executives were "extremely angry" about the sign and "they were indeed seeking to hold Dr. Stockton accountable for it." Stockton claims Eagle Ridge Hospital's medical director threatened to revoke her hospital privileges and file a complaint against her if she did not write an apology admitting to wrongdoing. The lawsuit alleges Stockton was fired through "constructive dismissal" — when the actions of a employer force an employee to resign. Stockton claims no questions were asked about the conditions in the emergency room that led physicians to take action. Instead, she was told she had "no right" to put up the sign. "This is extremely common, this happens all the time. It happens to nurses and physicians, and this is why the public doesn't have the truth about what is happening in our publicly funded hospitals, in our emergency rooms," she says. "Even when we collectively begged and pleaded for help, none was given. We felt helpless watching patients in the waiting room suffer, even though we were asking for help." 'One of those dreams where you're screaming for help' The lawsuit also claims Fraser Health has failed to respond to physicians' calls for help and sought to silence staff who spoke up about conditions. For example, it says the health authority sent cease and desist letters to physicians in 2023 after they asked for more transparency around congestion in emergency rooms and, on another occasion, suspended and investigated a nurse who advocated for better security protocols after being attacked by a patient wielding a machete. The most high-profile example is alleged to have happened on April 26, following the alleged Lapu-Lapu Day festival attack in Vancouver, which left 11 people dead and dozens more injured. Royal Columbian Hospital — one of two dedicated specialized trauma centres in B.C. — was allegedly notified "they would be receiving up to 10 critically injured patients." "Knowing this would overwhelm the hospital's already stretched resources, the physicians working at the time repeatedly requested that the hospital administrator activate a Code Orange," the lawsuit says. A code orange is a protocol that allows emergency rooms to urgently respond to disaster and mass casualty events by evacuating patients to other areas of the hospital, and bringing in additional personnel to assist with triaging. The lawsuit claims Fraser Health denied the request for a code orange. Stockton told CBC News she fears a lower standard of care will become normalized if change isn't implemented. "It feels like one of those dreams where you're screaming for help but no sound is coming out. And it just drains the life out of you after a while," she says. "At first you get really angry, but after a while of seeing the same thing over and over again, you just become hopeless." 'Extremely unsafe for patients' The lawsuit says working conditions in the two hospitals are "unpleasant, undignified, and extremely unsafe" for patients — sometimes resulting in loss of life. "Multiple Patient Safety and Learning System entries have been initiated because of severe, preventable harm, including deaths related to overcrowding," the notice of civil claim says. "The hospitals are now routinely operating with four to six unfilled emergency physician shifts per day," it reads. It alleges wait times have sky-rocketed, "now routinely reaching 10-14 hours." The lawsuit also claims a series of violent incidents have occurred at the hospitals. In January 2025, a machete-wielding man entered the emergency room at Eagle Ridge Hospital and threatened a nurse. In separate attacks, the lawsuit claims patients have strangled, kicked and attacked nurses who have suffered a dislocated a jaw, concussion and broken ribs. A large pit bull was also allegedly allowed into Eagle Ridge Hospital's emergency room for hours in April, attacking a doctor and biting his arm. "These events are so common that they are normalized and are rarely if ever acknowledged by FHA management and leadership," the suit alleges. A June 2025 report by the Montreal Economic Institute found Eagle Ridge Hospital has some of the longest emergency room wait times among Metro Vancouver hospitals. According to a report published in the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, long wait times in emergency rooms in Canada contribute to thousands of deaths per year. "Patients are dying while waiting for care. In my experience, and the experience of my colleagues, this is happening in B.C.," says Stockton, who adds the herculean efforts of frontline staff are holding emergency rooms together.
