Ontario family demands answers after patriarch spent 4 days in pain while awaiting surgery

The household of a Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., man who shattered his leg after which spent 4 days within the hallway of a small-town hospital demand to know why paramedics took the 76-year-old to a facility with out an working room. 

Ron Prickett broke a femur throughout a biking accident in Sauble Seashore on Sunday. Paramedics rushed him to Wiarton Hospital, the place he was in agony on a stretcher earlier than surgeons in London, Ont., may restore his leg Thursday. 

Now, his daughter, Liselle Prickett, is questioning why her father was delivered to the small-town hospital within the first place, as a substitute of Owen Sound, a close-by hospital with 5 orthopedic surgeons. 

“It is a 10-minute drive distance. We have to discover out why he went to Wiarton as a substitute of Owen Sound. It would not make any sense to me.” 

London was nearest centre for surgical procedure

Bruce County paramedics stated it despatched Prickett to hospital as directed by the Central Ambulance Communication Centre in London. 

“Our paramedics adopted [provincial] protocol and transported this affected person to the closest hospital based mostly on his situation on the time of transport,” Steve Schaus, director of paramedic companies for Bruce County, informed CBC Information in an e-mail. 

A spokesperson with the Central Ambulance Communication Centre was unavailable Thursday. However provincial protocol says paramedics should take a affected person to the closest health-care facility, the place a physician can resolve whether or not the person wants a better degree of care at a unique facility. 

Mary Margaret Crapper, chief of communications and public affairs for Gray Bruce Well being Providers, which encompasses each Wiarton and Owen Sound hospitals, stated neither facility has the aptitude to offer the surgical procedure Prickett required. 

“Sufferers requiring this degree of surgical procedure can be ready (at any of our websites) for a switch to a different facility outdoors our area,” she wrote in an e-mail Thursday. 

“We use a central, provincially run system known as Criticall, and so they work to discover a hospital who can obtain the affected person as shortly as doable.”

Isabel Hayward, govt director of Criticall, stated she couldn’t focus on specifics of the case because of privateness causes. 

“Whoever is caring for the affected person, we join them with the service specialist they want,” she stated Thursday. “We don’t share data on instances.” 

CBC Information additionally reached out to officers with Ontario’s Ministry of Well being to know why the choice was made, however officers didn’t reply by publication time Thursday. 

Prickett underwent surgical procedure Thursday at LHSC

Prickett underwent surgical procedure on Thursday morning at London Well being Sciences Centre, in keeping with his daughter.

Liselle stated whereas it was unlucky the household was compelled to go to the media to get their patriarch the care he wanted, they’re glad he spoke out when he did. 

“He is getting a bit extra consideration since he is drawn consideration to this. The communication is getting a bit bit higher and that is a part of the issue — while you’re left at the hours of darkness, it is very irritating not figuring out what is going on to occur subsequent.” 

She stated since her father went public, she’s been shocked by the quantity of people that had their very own tales of ready for care at Ontario hospitals. 

“It is a catastrophe,” Liselle stated. “It is worse than we thought it was. Until you form of undergo it, everyone seems to be an island having their very own expertise with no person to attach with.

“We’re all struggling.”