The Québec Ombudsman was informed about alleged problems with the care delivered at Montreal Children’s Hospital, namely, inadequate care before, during and after surgery.
The Québec Ombudsman decided to intervene on its own initiative with McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), the institution responsible for the care and services provided at the hospital.
Findings
The investigation confirmed that there were various shortcomings. The staff did not always carry out the monitoring needed before, during and after surgery. For example, they should have measured the vital signs of the people who had had surgery more often at certain phases. Other types of assessment were also neglected, such as consciousness and respiration.
Moreover, the Québec Ombudsman noted that young patients were not always monitored properly, notably, when they were given opiates (morphine, for example).
The investigation showed flaws in complying with the instructions that staff must give patients when they are discharged.
The Québec Ombudsman made five recommendations and two follow-up requests to MUHC, which were accepted. Note that the hospital has already acted to correct certain problems.
English summary of the intervention report concerning McGill University Health Centre (PDF, 112 KiB)
The Québec Ombudsman sees to it that the rights of health and social services network users are upheld. Want to report a troubling situation you have witnessed? Do you feel that the rights of a service user or several service users have not been respected? Report it by calling us at 1-800-463-5070 or by using our online complaint form.
