Safety in mental health ‘a critical issue’ that impacts patients, staff, community
Health centre CEO embraces opportunity to develop best practices collaboratively
Wednesday June 18, 2008 -- Natalie Miller
Glenna Raymond sees the opportunity to make big strides in the area of patient safety and mental health in Canada.

A national conference this fall on patient safety and mental health will provide the chance to collaborate with other experts and develop a consistent approach to the issues impacting this healthcare sector, says Raymond, president and CEO of Whitby Mental Health Centre (WMHC) in Whitby, ON.

“Patient safety is really a critical issue in mental health,” Raymond says.

She explains the issues are broader and different than in other areas of healthcare. For instance, safety takes into consideration not only the patient but staff and the public.

The issues range from the safety of the physical environment to the challenges encountered while helping people on their journey through recovery and reintegration into the community.

WMHC is a specialized tertiary provider of a range of mental health services to both in-patients and out-patients.

In Raymond’s view, “there’s a huge opportunity to make a difference” that enhances safety in areas including the use of restraints, environmental design, elopement, self-harm, smoking and medication use, for instance.

“We need to also appreciate the issues of staff safety are connected to patient safety,” she says.

There’s the chance to put in place sector-wide interventions that protect both patients and staff before a crisis escalates, she says.

WMHC has done its own patient safety work and uses the Safer Healthcare Now guidelines for medication safety.

“That fit for the mental health sector,” she says about the particular component of the guidelines.

She is looking forward to having a uniform approach to identify the most prominent safety issues, sit at the table with leaders from across the country and explore solutions collaboratively.

She says with some of the patients referred to WMHC arriving from the justice system there’s the issue of public safety to consider too.

“We have our own practices but it would be great to have national consensus,” says Raymond.

The CEO is taking part in "Mental Health and Patient Safety – The Beginning of Our Journey."

The Ontario Hospital Association hosts the national conference Sept. 19 in Toronto.

Is your hospital or healthcare centre already making strides in the area of patient safety? Share your story by calling the newsroom at 800-294-0051 or e-mail natalie(at)axiomnews.ca.

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