Family sues Gatineau doctors over man’s suicide

April 19, 2008 Hospital, News, Psychiatrist No Comments

Last Updated: Friday, April 18, 2008 | 2:45 PM ET

CBC News

A family has launched a lawsuit against three doctors over the suicide of a man at the Gatineau hospital three years ago.

Relatives of 23-year-old Sébastien Beausoleil held a news conference Friday where they said they are seeking more than $400,000 in damages, alleging that the doctors did not do enough to prevent Beausoleil from taking his life on April 27, 2005.

When Beausoleil was admitted to the Gatineau hospital two weeks before his death, his psychiatrist said he was at a very high risk of suicide.

Two days later, a psychiatrist determined that it was no longer necessary to keep a constant watch on him, and he was left unsupervised for long stretches for several days.

On the eve of his suicide, Beausoleil learned that there was no bed available to him at the Pierre-Janet psychiatric hospital, to which another psychiatrist recommended he should be transferred.

Beausoleil was found hanging in a bathroom from a metal hanger.

A year later, a coroner concluded that he had not received the level of care that he should have. The coroner recommended banning metal hangers in the facility and boosting security. He also said there should be a liaison committee to speed up requests for transfers to Pierre-Janet hospital.

Psychiatric patients’ deaths tied to lack of follow-up treatment program

April 19, 2008 Hospital, News No Comments
Citizen-Times.com
Leslie Boyd
April 19, 2008 12:15 am

Sally Turnear knew her son was in trouble. She knew he could convince doctors he was fine to be released from the hospital, and her worst fears were realized when he killed himself Aug. 1, two days after being discharged from Broughton State Hospital.

Chuck Turnear is one of three men who died in a six-month span last year after being discharged from a state psychiatric hospitals. Members of all three men’s families spoke to the Citizen-Times about their loved ones’ deaths, which they believe should have been prevented.

Planning for patients’ treatment after discharge has been a problem at North Carolina’s state hospitals for several years, according to a report released this week by Disability Rights NC.

“This is just three deaths we know about,” said Vicki Smith, director of Disability Rights NC. “I believe there are likely to be other deaths we don’t know about yet. … We plan to look at other deaths and other concerns.”

Federal rules require hospitals to ensure plans are in place before patients leave state hospitals, and evaluations of North Carolina’s hospitals in 2004 and again earlier this year found discharge planning inadequate.

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