Fraser Health Lawsuit: Doctor Alleges Preventable Deaths and Unsafe ER Conditions

Dr. Kaitlin Stockton, an emergency physician in British Columbia, filed a $500,000 lawsuit against Fraser Health, claiming that two Metro Vancouver hospitals have become dangerously unsafe — and that Fraser Health threatened her job when she tried to warn the public.

Stockton has worked at Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge Hospitals since 2017. She says care quality has sharply declined over the past two years. According to her, preventable deaths occurred, patients assaulted staff, and leadership failed to act. She also claims health workers who raised concerns were silenced.

A Crisis Ignored: Overcrowding, Violence, and Delayed Care

According to the lawsuit, hospitals under Fraser Health are now regularly short four to six ER physicians per day, with wait times as long as 14 hours. Patients are being left in hallways. Doctors report burnout and trauma from working in “wildly unsafe” conditions.

In one extreme case, Stockton says she and other doctors put up a sign at Eagle Ridge Hospital in November 2024. The sign warned patients about dangerous delays and urged them to contact local officials. Instead of addressing the crisis, she claims Fraser Health reviewed CCTV footage to identify and discipline her. She was later constructively dismissed, according to her claim.

Fellow Physicians Back the Lawsuit

While not addressing legal details, 50 emergency room doctors signed a letter backing Stockton’s advocacy. They called for more transparency, better safety, and stronger mental health support in emergency departments.

B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne said healthcare workers should feel safe speaking up. However, she declined to comment further due to the case’s legal status.

Shocking Incidents Alleged in Lawsuit

Stockton’s lawsuit outlines numerous violent incidents, including:

A machete attack on a nurse in January 2025.
A pit bull left inside the ER for hours bit an emergency room doctor.
Nurses suffering concussions, broken ribs, and more from assaults by patients.

She also describes a mass casualty incident in April 2025, following the alleged Lapu-Lapu Day attack. Despite being notified to expect ten critically injured patients, Fraser Health reportedly refused to initiate a Code Orange protocol, which would have freed up hospital resources for triage and emergency care.

“Patients Are Dying While Waiting”

Stockton claims she and her colleagues begged leadership for help. Instead of support, she alleges Fraser Health threatened her hospital privileges and demanded an apology.

Her biggest fear? That the current level of care — with preventable harm, trauma, and system failure — will become normalized.

“It feels like one of those dreams where you’re screaming for help but no sound is coming out,” she told CBC.
“Our emergency system is failing, and front-line providers are not allowed to talk about it.”

Fraser Health and Ministry Respond

Fraser Health declined to comment on the lawsuit, as did the provincial health ministry. But a recent report by the Montreal Economic Institute confirmed that Eagle Ridge Hospital ranks among the worst for ER wait times in Metro Vancouver.

A separate study in the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine estimates that thousands of Canadians die each year due to long ER waits.

As the lawsuit proceeds, many are watching to see whether more whistleblowers will step forward — or if fear and retaliation will continue to keep life-threatening conditions in the dark.

Do you think doctors and nurses should have the legal right to speak out publicly when patient safety is at risk?

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