Sechelt Hospital is now offering 24-hour access to forensic sexual assault exams.
“Two nurses are indeed trained and available to perform sexual assault forensic exams,” Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) public affairs leader Carrie Stefanson told Coast Reporter June 30, adding that VCH is still recruiting physicians and that the nurses are “available 24 hours” to conduct the procedure.
Last February, Sunshine Coast VCH director Gerry Latham said in addition to the two nurses, up to seven physicians had also expressed interest in similar training.
Trained medical professionals conduct the exams following a sexual assault to gather evidence, such as clothing, hair or semen, that could be used in a criminal investigation if the assault is reported to law enforcement.
Two Sechelt Hospital nurses had been sent for training at BCIT after the last health-care worker with training retired in August 2019, but gaps in the availability of the service even with trained staff had been reported.
“We are extremely happy that the Sunshine Coast finally has 24-hour access to sexual assault forensic exams at Sechelt Hospital; this will be a valuable service to our whole community,” said Denise Woodley, director of program and staff development at Sunshine Coast Community Services Society, which provides outreach services to survivors of sexual assault.
“The nurses in this program have made connections with other service providers who work with victims/survivors of sexual assault and it is our hope that this will provide better continuity of care to anyone who has to use this service in the future.”
RCMP staff mentioned the training during a June 23 local government and community leadership meeting.
Other rural areas in the VCH region have also struggled to retain consistent access to the exam. The exams were made available for Sea-to-Sky residents 24/7 at Squamish General Hospital in late 2019 and in March the health authority said it would enhance the service by “facilitating training for nurses and nurse-practitioners in Whistler and Squamish to be part of a sexual assault forensics examination team.”
– With files from Keili Bartlett, Squamish Chief
