Manitoba Hospitals Grey-Listed Amidst Growing Safety Concerns

For the first time in its 45-year history, the Manitoba Nurses Union has grey-listed two hospitals simultaneously due to escalating safety concerns. This unprecedented action highlights critical issues regarding working conditions at both the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg and Thompson General Hospital. The implications of this decision are significant, emphasizing the urgent need for improvements in safety protocols and working environments in healthcare facilities across the province.

Nurses at Thompson General Hospital voted overwhelmingly, with 97 percent in favor of grey-listing their workplace. This decision reflects years of increasing violence, including a stabbing incident in the emergency waiting room last September. According to the Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to the hospital over 550 calls in 2024 alone. When healthcare professionals declare their own workplace unsafe, it signals a deeper systemic failure requiring immediate action.

The grey-listing does not equate to a withdrawal of services, but rather serves as a strong warning to potential employees. The aim is to compel hospital management to address the critical safety issues that have led to this drastic measure. Given that Thompson General Hospital already relies heavily on contract and agency staff, the grey-listing could further complicate recruitment efforts, threatening the stability of healthcare services not only in Thompson but also throughout the Northern Health Region.

The province’s response to these alarming developments remains crucial. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara indicated that institutional safety officers could be deployed to Thompson General Hospital within weeks, which offers a glimmer of hope. Nonetheless, the minister acknowledged that implementing comprehensive safety measures will take time—an unacceptable delay for nurses currently facing unsafe working conditions and for patients awaiting care in the emergency room.

Local leaders are also weighing in. Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook pointed out that hiring and training security personnel cannot happen overnight. While the introduction of “secure and monitored access” by December 1 represents progress, the consideration of installing metal detectors underscores the alarming decline in safety standards at the hospital.

The escalating safety crisis is not confined to Thompson. In Brandon Regional Health Centre, nurses have reported rising safety concerns as well. In March 2024, a 21-year-old male patient became threatening towards staff, and in April, an emergency room nurse was choked and nearly stabbed with a needle. These incidents occurred despite the hiring of 16 new security guards trained in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques earlier this year.

The MNU has been raising alarms about the worsening safety conditions for months. A survey conducted in July revealed that nearly half of the 1,500 respondents believed that workplace culture had deteriorated over the past year. MNU President Darlene Jackson remarked, “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.”

To rebuild the strained healthcare system in Manitoba, the government must prioritize the safety of its healthcare workers. This requires more than just job postings and promises; it demands sustained investment, improved staffing ratios, modernized infrastructure, and clear accountability for security failures. Additionally, northern communities must have a greater voice in hospital operations, including enhanced opportunities to recruit and retain local staff.

While the province’s new commitments are a welcome step, transparency is essential. Manitobans deserve clarity on how quickly security measures will be implemented and what additional protocols are being adopted to improve safety conditions. The situation at Thompson General Hospital serves as a critical alarm bell. The province and regional health officials must respond with the urgency that the circumstances demand. Grey-listing two hospitals should not merely be viewed as a warning, but rather as a pivotal moment for reform in Manitoba’s healthcare system.