Investigation launched into children's psychiatric unit

The Child and Youth advocate in Newfoundland and Labrador has announced a full-scale investigation into the operation of the psychiatric unit at a children's hospital after questions rose about how suicidal teens were being treated.

Darlene Neville told CBC News that she has heard cries for help from parents and teens before, butlast weekend'sclosure of the psychiatric unit at the Janeway Children's Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre in St. John's was the last straw.

"I think it's necessary that you have an investigation so people can understand how this went so wrong," Neville said.

On Saturday night,two 15-year-olds were reportedly handcuffed and transferred from the children's hospital to the Waterford Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in St. John's, amid an apparent staffing dispute at the Janeway.

The mother of one of the teens, whom CBC News has agreed not to identify, said her daughter had to be moved from the children's hospital that night because no nurses were available to work in the Janeway psychiatric unit.

"They told me that they all called in sick," the mother said.

Now Neville has served notice to Eastern Health, the authority that oversees the Janeway and Waterford Hospitals, and the provincial Department of Health, that her office will investigate the delivery of services and programs at the Janeway Psychiatric unit over the past year.

"We're going to look at decisions, memorandums, medical charts, peer consultations, reviews within all levels of management within Eastern Health relating to this investigation, the front-line services and programs that were delivered. It will be a full-scale investigation," Neville told CBC News.

Concerns about problems at the children's psychiatric unit have been surfacing for months.

CBC News uncovered memos written by nurses outlining daily suicide attempts by children in the unit, telling managers that they could no longer cope and that they feared a child would die if nothing were done.

Neville said she believes an investigation is necessary to restore public confidence in the system.

"So how it was allowed to deteriorate to the point where we are, that's a question I can't answer but it's a question I hope the investigation will answer," she said.

Neville requested that all documentation from the Department of Health and Eastern Health by turned over to her office by early January and she hopes to complete the investigation in early 2009.