Patient Safety

The WRHA's critical incident review process

Sometimes something unexpected can happen to a patient, resident or client that has caused them unintended serious harm. When the event is a result of healthcare provided and not due to the individual’s illness or the usual risks in treating the disease, it is called a critical incident.

The Winnipeg Health Region takes these situations very seriously and has a process in place for individuals to report a critical incident.

Talk to us about a critical incident anytime 24 hours a day at 788-8222.

What is a critical incident?

How can I report a critical incident?

What happens when I report a critical incident?

What is the purpose of the Critical Incident Review Committee (CIRC)?

What can’t be disclosed by law to patients/ their families following a Critical Incident?

Additional resources

To encourage reporting and full, open participation in the investigation by health-care providers, the investigation process is confidential and privileged under law. This is intended to support providers and encourage them to speak frankly and openly about what occurred.

The CIRC strives to complete their review within 88 working days, but this time frame varies according to the complexity of the event. The Chief Operating Officer of the involved facility will be notified by the CIRC as soon as they have completed their review. A meeting will be offered to the patient, resident or client by the involved facility to discuss what was learned.

We value, support and respect your contribution in sharing details about a critical incident.  We want to partner with you in our efforts to learn about our health care system through this process with the goal being system wide improvements for the future.

Safety Learning Summaries

A Safety Learning Summary (SLS) is a brief summary of the findings and recommendations from a completed critical incident (CI) review with identifying information removed, or modified, in order to circulate widely to health care providers and organizations.  The goal is to promote and share learning from reviews of critical incidents.

Read more

Special thanks to the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety for permission to draw from their resources.