More than 250 knives seized at London ERs

LONDON, Ont. – In a matter of weeks, more than 250 knives have been seized at the emergency departments of London Health Sciences Centre. Weapons-detection systems installed at the hospital’s two emergency departments have spotted 92 knives since May 6, an average of six a day, at Victoria Hospital’s emergency department and 166 knives, or five a day, at University Hospital’s ER since April 15.

“They’re making an impact and mark a significant milestone in keeping staff and visitors safe,” said David Musyj (pictured), LHSC’s supervisor. His remarks were reported by The London Free Press.

The knives were all legal and visitors either returned them to their vehicles or they were held by staff and returned when visitors left the hospital.

The hospital also seized illegal items including “batons” and bear and pepper spray, Musyj said.

“In a majority of these cases, there’s no ill intent, but there’s no need to bring them to emergency departments,” he said. “We will eventually see a drop, a plateau.”

Musyj reported the knife seizures at the hospital’s community update meeting, a regular meeting administration holds with its community advisory committee to report on hospital matters.

At the meeting, the hospital also announced it concluded a “detailed organizational review” on how to improve operations, resulting in 169 recommendations sent Wednesday to staff. The recommendations will be implemented during three years. The recommendations are broad, touching on leadership, clinical and non-clinical programs and the hospital budget.

“We shared a work plan on how it will be implemented. The report clearly indicates the quality of care is very high at LHSC, but can it be improved? Of course,” Musyj said.

Committees will be formed across hospital departments to implement the recommendations.

The changes include reinstating a board of directors, hiring a new chief executive and improving finances. In June 2024 the hospital reported its 2024-25 deficit for the year ending March 31 was likely to be $150 million, up from $78 million in 2023-24.

That pushed the hospital to cut staff, especially in executive ranks, and other costs, an undertaking that is ongoing. The hospital will know this summer how much money it will get from the Ontario government and will be able to budget properly after that, said Musyj.

As for the weapons-detection systems, the plan to install them was expedited following a Dec. 14 shooting outside Victoria Hospital’s ER. A man who was shot in south London about 2:30 a.m. was followed by the shooter and fired on again outside the hospital, police said.

The new system allows patients and visitors to pass through the sensors without having to remove their personal belongings. The scanners detect any potentially dangerous items. Security guards are stationed at the emergency department entrances 24 hours a day.

The system doesn’t use facial recognition technology, LHSC officials said. The security system costs about $7,200 a month to lease for both sites.