Woman, 89, transferred to Flin Flon hospital from Winnipeg without notification, family says

UPDATE MARCH 1, 2022: After this story published,the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority contactedCBC saying itdid contact a family representative. Read more here.

A Winnipeg couple say they're incredibly frustrated and upset after discovering an 89-year-old family member has been transferred to a hospital inFlin Flonfrom Winnipeg without any notice.

"It's tremendously frustrating, angering," said Rick Wiens, the woman's son-in-law."It's unbelievable, really. It's really unbelievable."

Wiens says his mother-in-law, Denise Mignot, was originally taken to Concordia Hospital at the start of February for hip pain and mobility issues.

His wife, Marianne, received a call from her mother around11a.m. Thursday, saying there was talk about her being transferred, Wiens said.

Hours later, she got a frantic call from her mother, who was in an ambulance headingfor the airport and a plane to Flin Flon, Wiens said.

Wiens said he immediately phoned the hospital, and staff told him Mignotwas already on a plane.

All hospitals provide a letter to patients and/or their families upon admission to hospital that detail the possibility they might be transferred to another site, a Shared Health spokesperson said in a statement.

A followup conversation, typically led by a care team member, occurs if the patient is identified as a suitable candidate for transferand additional written communication is provided, the spokesperson said.

But Wiens said he and his wife were never notified of the transfer. They only discovered what was happening when he phoned.

"We were not given any kind of reason for why it was happening or anything else like that. It was just a done deal by the time," he said.

Wiens said his mother-in-law has been transferred to Flin Flon General Hospital.

She's starting to lose her cognitive ability and she can easily get confused, so he and his wife are concerned about her mental and physical health, Wiens said.

"She's in a place she doesn't know nobody around," he said. "She was very upset. This sort of thing can accelerate health problems."

Shared Health said inter-regional transfers continue to be necessary in order to ensure there's capacity to care for both COVID and non-COVID patients who require specialized care.

"The protocol is designed to ensure all Manitobans can access the care they need, even when demand for services is high," the spokesperson wrote.

Shared Health said as of last Monday, 278 patients have been moved as part of the protocol including 13 last week.

The spokesperson said they can't speak to specific details of an individual's care because of privacy laws, but staff weigh a number of factors when they consider whether a patient is suitable for a transfer.

That includes whether they can be transferred safely and whether the receiving facility can meet their immediate and continuing care needs, he said.

Wiens says Mignot will turn90 on March 8 and had they known she was being transferred, they would have arranged for her home care.

"Why that wasn't offered as an option before any of this happened simply makes no sense," Wiens said. "Is this the best way to treat someone who is going to be 90 years old?"