Long-term care ministry under fire after former nurse charged with murder

The safeguards in place by Ontario's Health and Long-term Care Ministry came under fire Tuesday morning as opposition parties questioned how no one noticed as a former nursing home employee allegedly killed eight seniors in care.

• Former Woodstock, Ont., nurse facing 8 murder charges in deaths of elderly patients

ElizabethTraceyMaeWettlaufer, 49, has been charged witheight counts of first-degree murder related to deaths ranging from 2007 to 2014. Ontario Provincial Police said Tuesday the formernurse is alleged to have administered a fatal drug to residents in her care in Woodstock and Londonduring that time.

In Question Period, the province's NDP seniors' affairs criticaskedhow the ministry was unaware of the deathsfor roughly eight years.

"These horrific multiple murders raise serious questions of oversight by the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care," LondonFanshawe MPPTeresa Armstrongsaid. "How do eight murders happen in long-term care homes without the ministry noticing?"

'The victims were administered drugs'

8 years ago

Duration 0:33

OPP Det. Sup. Dave Truax updates media about nurse's arrest

Neither Premier Kathleen Wynne nor Health and Long-term Care Minister Eric Hoskinsresponded directly, both saying thepolice investigation limited what they could say.

Wynne said the alleged murders are "extremely distressing" but it would be inappropriate for her to comment further.

"I don't think there's anyone in this legislature who would not agree that this is a tragic, tragic circumstance," Wynne said.

"The police have made it clear that there is no threat to safety and we now need to let the police do their job."

Hoskins said the ministry learned about the police investigationon Sept. 29. That's when investigators said they had begun looking into several deaths in southwestern Ontario, which they believed might be connected.

The ministry conducts regular inspections of long-term care homes and their staff, Hoskins said, in side-stepping a question about whether regulations governing nursing homes should be reviewed in light of the murder charges.

Tories callfor 'swift response'

"I want to reassure Ontarians that the safety and security of Ontario seniors, including those in long-term care homes is my highest priority," Hoskins told reporters at Queen's Park.

"As the police said, no resident of along-term care home needs to be concerned about their safety as a result of the investigation."

Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown said he was "sickened" by the charges.

"There has to be a swift response," he saidof the ministry.

As more details come out about the deaths, Brown said he'll want to reviewwhether the governmentshould make any changes to long-term care regulation.