Other patients untriaged, Sinclair inquest told

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This article was published 15/10/2013 (4560 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Up to 10 patients had been found waiting in the Health Sciences Centres waiting room without being put in line for treatment before Brian Sinclair’s death.

HSC nurse Todd Torfason told an inquest looking into Sinclair’s death today that these patients were discovered untriaged in the waiting room at the emergency department. Changes have since been made to the system and all patients now wear wide colourful wristbands. 

Torfason said at most, the patients were found after waiting there for about an hour.

But Torfason said he was so concerned he spoke to management about his concerns.

Torfason said he was working as the waiting room’s reassessment nurse the day Sinclair came to emergency but because they were shortstaffed, he was redeployed elsewhere in the department just before the man arrived.

Sinclair, 45, died on Sept. 21, 2008, of a treatable bladder infection and blocked urinary catheter after waiting 34 hours without receiving care.

The inquest looking into Sinclair’s death has been told Sinclair died as long as seven hours before he was found.

Kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca