An ex-patient of Whitehorse General Hospital’s secure medical unit (SMU) is speaking out in tandem with local psychiatrists to denounce the unit’s in-patient services and safety procedures.

“If the ward isn’t safe for psychiatrists, then the ward isn’t safe for patients, either,” the individual told the Star Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Star reported that four psychiatrists have rescinded their services from the hospital.

In a letter dated Oct. 30, the psychiatrists explained that a member of their team was assaulted by a SMU patient. They said the unit is unsafe, and practising psychiatry there is “akin to being forced to do surgery in a broom closet and without anesthesia.”

The Yukon Party raised the matter in the legislature earlier this week.

After seeing the psychiatrists’ account, the ex-patient reached out to the Star, which is not revealing the person’s name nor gender.

They said they have been admitted to the SMU between seven and 12 times in the last four years, and twice since January.

“It really is what the psychiatrists are saying – it’s a holding cell for people who have done nothing wrong, and who will never get the care they need,” the individual said.

The ex-patient said they weren’t provided any meaningful mental health programming while admitted to the SMU. Their cell phone was confiscated and only permitted outside the SMU – so they had no contact with their support network outside the hospital.

Three staff visited their room over the course of a day to provide medication, conduct blood tests and serve meals – and the remaining 23 1/2 hours were spent alone, they said. The only exception was a visit from their family doctor.

“You’re not getting any support while you’re in there, which I think is the problem,” the individual said.

“If you do want to call this a holding place for people before you transfer them, then you have duty of care to make sure people aren’t getting worse.”

Earlier this week, a spokesperson from the Yukon Hospital Corp. said officials are aware of the SMU’s limitations.

“WGH’s secure medical unit is not designed to support mental health patients who need a higher level of care,” Chris Huestis said in an email Wednesday.

“The Secure Medical Unit provides stabilization and observation until transfer to a more appropriate mental health care facility.”

The individual told the Star they weren’t offered a transfer to another institution. They have voluntarily discharged themselves from the SMU several times, against medical advice.

The letter from the psychiatrists explained that transferring patients has been challenging.

Transfer forms and review board processes stall transfers by at least a week, and “hours-long begging and pleading for the transfer of psychiatric patients south in our ‘reciprocal relationship’ with B.C. (are) often only to be rejected.”

The psychiatrists’ letter described the SMU as unsafe, due to lack of security staffing and practitioners untrained in de-escalating violent situations.

The individual told the Star they felt unsafe multiple times while in the SMU. One occurrence took place last spring.

“I could hear a lot of yelling, and I heard a lot of other patients saying, ‘They’ve got them trapped in there!’ meaning the nurses and doctor were trapped in the nurse’s room, I’m assuming,” they said.

“The problem is that even from the nursing desk, there’s no line of sight into the SMU – they can’t see what’s happening in our rooms, so I was terrified, I didn’t know if that person was going to come into my room next.”

The individual said they have been admitted to mental health wards in other jurisdictions down south. The difference in staff preparedness to manage escalated situations was jarring, they said.

In Whitehorse, they witnessed hospital staff bargaining with patients in the SMU’s isolated rooms – promising phone calls to family or lawyers in exchange for the patient’s co-operation.

“A lot of problematic things that, to me, show the staff don’t have enough training to deal with people having major mental health issues,” the individual said.

“A lot of things that touch on civil liberties with no oversight.”

The individual said they have previously been a mental health ward patient in other jurisdictions. They were visited by a social worker dedicated to the unit, registered psychiatric nurses and advocates to explain the rights of patients.

“None of that happens in the SMU; you’re literally left alone,” the individual said.

They said that the last time they visited the hospital, they asked staff to treat them in the emergency room, or another ward.

“I said, ‘please don’t put me in the SMU,’” the individual said.

The individual was treated with medication in the emergency room, but was eventually told the bed was required for other patients. They were informed that they would be transferred to the SMU.

“I said, ‘I’m not going there,’” the person said, and voluntarily discharged themselves.

The individual noted they’ve noticed the Yukon government establishing substance use services, mental wellness hubs and other supports in the territory.

“I think substance use and mental wellness services could be a good resource for people who have mild or moderate mental illness, but for people who have major mental illness. there’s a huge slipping through the cracks that’s happening,” they said.

“The problem with going to Whitehorse General Hospital is you know you’re not going to get it (care).

“I don’t see the point of sitting with nobody in a room or where somebody could attack me, versus sitting in my house and hoping for the best.”

James Low, the director of People Services for the hospital corporation, would not provide comment to the Star this morning.

“It is not our place to challenge, refute or debate a patient’s experience through the media,” Low said via email.

Low said there are processes in place to issue formal complaints to the hospital corporation. All those complaints are reviewed by staff.

Low added he is “well aware” of the SMU’s limitations, and there are plans to redevelop the unit underway.

Earlier this week, Health Minister Pauline Frost said $1 million has been budgeted for planning the new SMU.

In the meantime, the Yukon’s psychiatrists have requested security guards, improved staff training and the ability to medevac patients to more appropriate facilities in mental health emergencies.

The individual told the Star they are in support of the practitioners, and wants to see more patient advocacy enter the conversation.

“I think it’s great the psychiatrists can take a stand, and say, ‘we’re not doing this anymore,’ but the patients can’t say, ‘we’re not going to have mental health difficulties anymore,’ and there’s nowhere else to go.”