The Niagara Sexual Assault Centre says rape survivors in Niagara are being turned away from hospitals and being told to go to Hamilton, or come back the following day.
The centre says Niagara Health’s Sexual Assault Domestic Violence (SADV) unit at its St. Catharines hospital only has someone available to treat survivors an average of 50% of the time.
Officials say that means an unknown number of survivors of sexual violence are being turned away from Niagara’s only specialized unit and told to go to Hamilton or Burlington via taxi, or to return the next day and not shower or change in the meantime.
"The consequences of these delays are numerous. Not only can it further impact the mental health of the survivor, but it also can lead to them not receiving antiretroviral and other crucial medication that must be administered in a specific time frame. Also, evidence degrades by each passing hour: oral swabs must be taken before 24 hours has elapsed; skin, fingernail, pubic hair etc. samples before 72 hours and only if the survivor does not shower. "
Officials say any delays in accessing the services is unacceptable and it was an issue pre-pandemic.
They say they have met with the hospital to discuss the program and Niagara Health now needs to develop a strategy to ensure the situation does not continue.
"We have been addressing this issue with the St. Catharines hospital for years. Most recently, the NSAC met with Niagara Health’s CEO Lynn Guerrero and a team of administrators from the Sexual Assault Domestic Violence division in March to discuss this very problem. We do want to acknowledge the wonderful nurses that work at the Niagara SADV. They are a dedicated team of highly skilled professionals that work tirelessly to ensure that survivors feel safe, heard, and cared for."
Niagara Health says they have had longstanding staffing pressures that have been made worse by the pandemic,and they are actively working to recruit nurses to the program.
"The Sexual Assault Domestic Violence program is an important service for the Niagara community, and we are fully committed to providing the best possible care to our patients. Our staff who work in this program are highly trained and extremely dedicated to supporting patients. Unfortunately, we have had longstanding staffing pressures that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, and we are very sorry for the difficulties these pressures are causing. Due to these pressures, there are times when patients would need to travel outside of Niagara to access certain aspects of this specialized care before returning to Niagara Health for follow-up. We are actively working to recruit nurses to this program." Barb Evans, Director, Patient Care Niagara Health
1/ I’m gutted. The thought of sexual assault survivors being turned away is horrific. Fixing our hospitals crisis must be the top priority — so this never happens to anyone in Ontario ever again. @NIAGARA_SAC #sexualassault #onpoli https://t.co/th14Q5lkj2
— MPP Jennie Stevens (@JennieStevens_) September 21, 2022