Manitoba Hospitals Grey-Listed Amid Rising Safety Concerns

For the first time in the history of the Manitoba Nurses Union, two hospitals in the province have been grey-listed simultaneously. This significant action signals serious concerns about safety and working conditions at both the Thompson General Hospital and Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre. The decision to grey-list these facilities serves as a stark warning to healthcare professionals regarding the deteriorating environment within these institutions.

The vote at Thompson General Hospital was overwhelmingly supportive, with 97 percent of nurses backing the grey-listing. This decision follows a troubling rise in violence, including a notable stabbing incident that occurred in the emergency waiting room in September 2023. According to the Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were called to the hospital more than 550 times in the year 2024 alone.

When front-line healthcare workers declare their own workplace unsafe, it reflects deeper systemic issues. The situation at Thompson is not merely a reaction to isolated incidents but indicative of a broader environment where safety concerns are jeopardizing patient care and staff morale. Nurses are determined to compel their employer to take action to ensure a safe working environment, but the grey-listing does not indicate a withdrawal of services.

The implications of this grey-listing extend beyond immediate safety concerns. The Thompson General Hospital, already struggling with staffing challenges, relies heavily on contract and agency staff. Should conditions continue to decline, recruitment efforts—already challenging in Northern Manitoba—could face even greater hurdles. This situation threatens the stability of health services across the entire Northern Health Region.

In response to the urgent circumstances, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara stated that institutional safety officers could be deployed to Thompson General Hospital within weeks. While this is a positive step, Minister Asagwara recognized that improvements will take time, a luxury that the hospital does not currently have. Today, nurses are working under unsafe conditions, and patients are waiting in an emergency room fraught with risks.

Mayor of Thompson, Colleen Smook, emphasized the urgency of hiring and training security personnel, which cannot be expedited overnight. The introduction of “secure and monitored access” by December 1 will be a significant development, yet the consideration of installing metal detectors underscores the dire state of safety conditions in the facility.

The escalation in violence is not limited to Thompson or Winnipeg. At the Brandon Regional Health Centre, nursing staff have reported their own safety issues this year. In March, a patient in need of medical attention became threatening towards staff, and a nurse faced a choking incident the following month, despite the hospital having increased security personnel trained in crisis intervention.

The MNU has been vocal about these escalating safety concerns, with a survey conducted in July revealing that nearly half of the 1,500 respondents indicated a deterioration in workplace culture over the past year. MNU President Darlene Jackson articulated the alarming trend, stating, “The level of violence we’re seeing now against nurses was absolutely unheard of 10 to 15 years ago. Now it’s a commonplace event.”

For any government serious about revitalizing Manitoba’s strained healthcare system, protecting healthcare workers must be a priority. This requires more than just job postings; it necessitates sustained investment, improved staffing ratios, modernized infrastructure, and accountability for when security measures fail. Furthermore, local communities should have a greater say in hospital operations, including incentives for recruiting and retaining local staff.

The recent commitments made by the province are welcomed, but they must be transparent and actionable. Manitobans deserve clarity regarding the timeline for security measures and protocols that will be implemented, as well as how improvements in safety will be assessed.

The grey-listing of two hospitals should serve as an alarming signal. It is essential that the province and regional health officials respond decisively to this crisis, ensuring that the safety of both patients and healthcare workers becomes the foremost priority.