Mental health hospital filled with wrong patients

About half the beds at Charlottetowns Hillsborough Hospital are filled with patients who dont need to be there, according to a new report commissioned by the provincial government.

The Hillsborough Hospital is the provinces principal psychiatric hospital, but the report says it is too often filling a safety net role, rather than helping patients with the most serious needs.

Approximately half of the current 69 beds are occupied by patients that require services under the safety net role, the report says.

This creates confusion and conflict, resulting in gaps in services that have the potential to reduce the ability of the overall system to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Islanders."

The report notes that resources at the hospital have changed drastically in the last 20 years, with the number of beds dropping from almost 200 to 69. The downsizing of Hillsborough was part of a plan to have more patients cared for in facilities in the community.

That plan, however, hasn't always been successful. There has been a lack of spaces, and sometimes the adjustment did not work for the patient.

New hospital needed, says health minister

That limits the hospital's ability to help some of the most vulnerable Islanders deal with mental health problems.

"This report clearly identifies the need for improvements in access to services and the role that Hillsborough plays, said Health Minister Doug Currie.

From a bigger picture, we need to continue to look at what the functionality of the building is, how that is conducive to healthy inpatient/outpatient services."

Currie said he is committed to replacing Hillsborough Hospital with a new facility. The most recent capital budget sets aside $5 million for planning a new hospital in 2019. Currie said he will try to push up that timeline if he remains health minister after next year's election.