One in 17 Manitobans harmed during hospital stays

Every year, hundreds of Manitobans are harmed during hospital stays, often from incidents that could have been prevented. Health officials are using Canadian Patient Safety Week to sound the alarm and encourage patients, families, and care teams to work together to make hospital care safer.

Provincial health authorities, including Shared Health Manitoba and Prairie Mountain Health (PMH), are spotlighting the importance of listening, asking questions, and taking collective action to reduce hospital harm.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, in 2024–25, one in 17 acute care hospital stays in Canada involved at least one harmful event, and one in four of those cases involved multiple harmful events. “Despite years of patient safety initiatives, harm rates are not going down,” Shared Health said in a statement. “We need to listen, learn, and act, together with patients and families, to make meaningful change.”

PMH CEO Treena Slate said fostering a culture where patients feel empowered to ask questions is central to their approach. “We remain committed to an organizational culture of safety and continuous improvement through leadership, facilitation, education and capacity building,” she said.

PMH’s website features a patient safety section with practical tools such as the “Speak Up! For Safer Health Care” pamphlet, and posters in hospitals reminding patients they have the right to ask questions, such as whether staff have cleaned their hands. “Building rapport and empowering clients occurs at the very start of seeking care and continues throughout their health-care journey,” Slate said.

When incidents do happen, Slate said patients and families can report concerns through staff during their hospital stay, or afterwards through PMH’s patient relations department, which ensures formal follow-up.

PMH also promotes a “fair and just culture,” encouraging staff to report incidents without fear, so the system can learn and improve. “We conduct regular education sessions on the value of reporting and the opportunities it provides for improving patient safety and quality care,” Slate said. Data from these reports is analyzed to identify trends, guide policy and support quality improvement initiatives.

LONG, COSTLY ROAD TO RECOVERY

The human and financial impacts of hospital harm are significant. CIHI data shows that patients who experience harm spend an average of 28 days in hospital, nearly five times longer than those who don’t, who average just six days. The cost of care is also more than four times higher: $44,641 compared to $9,792.

“Behind every number is a person whose recovery became longer, harder or more uncertain,” said a spokesperson for Shared Health’s Provincial Patient Safety Team. “This isn’t just about statistics, it’s about people and families.”

While national harm rates remain steady, Slate said PMH has seen some encouraging trends locally. “Trends for falls and medication incidents have remained stable, with a notable decrease in the number of critical incidents in the region over the last year,” she noted.

Health officials say patient safety isn’t just about clinical protocols, it’s also about communication. Many Manitobans hesitate to speak up due to negative past experiences, power imbalances, trauma, racism, stigma, or simply not knowing what to ask.

The “It’s Safe to Ask” initiative is one way health authorities are encouraging patients and families to be active participants in their care, by asking about medications, procedures and next steps.

Canadian Patient Safety Week runs Oct. 28-31. It features free webinars, lunch-and-learn sessions and resources aimed at moving from awareness to action.

» Winnipeg Sun