Saskatoon city councillor sues health authority, doctors over mental health treatment

A Saskatoon city councillor has launched a lawsuit against the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and five doctors.

Ward 1 Coun. Darren Hill's claim stems from a March 2021 incident where he was admitted to the Irene & Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health.

According to Hill's statement of claim, on the evening of March 19 an acquaintance called police, believing Hill might harm himself.

The claim says police responded to city hall, taking Hill into their care "against his will" even though he "informed them he had no intention of harming himself."

Police released Hill into the care of medical staff at Royal University Hospital where the claim says he was placed in a locked room "with only a concrete slab with a mattress on it and dirty sheets."

Hill's claim says there was no "two-way communication" possible aside from knocking on the door to get a nurse's attention so he could use the washroom as the room did not have one.

Hill's claim alleges he asked to speak with his family doctor, psychiatrist and lawyer but never got the chance. The claim also alleges medical staff appeared to have spoken with Hill's ex-husband, despite the fact the couple were in the process of separating and Hill had specifically asked staff not to contact him.

During an initial assessment by one of the physicians named in the lawsuit, Hill claims to have "answered all questions correctly" and told the doctor he did not intend to harm himself.

According to the claim, the doctor requested a psychiatric assessment, which was conducted the next day by another physician named in the lawsuit.

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Both doctors — along with other physicians named in the lawsuit — mentioned unspecified "allegations" from Hill's ex-husband, the lawsuit claims. Following the assessment, Hill was admitted to the Dubé Centre under provisions in Saskatchewan's Mental Health Services Act.

Hill was released from the centre on March 22, allegedly following a conversation with one of the doctors named in the suit where Hill explained that he and his ex-husband were in the midst of a "non-amicable" split. The lawsuit claims that upon learning this, the doctor said she wouldn't consider the information allegedly provided by Hill's ex-husband.

Hill is alleging the five doctors named in the suit were negligent in their approach to his care and claims the SHA should also be held liable.

The Saskatoon city councillor claims he suffered loss and damages as a result of the ordeal, including loss of income, loss of employment and damage to his reputation.

He is seeking unspecified damages, which would be determined at trial.

In a statement of defence, the SHA alleges Hill was in the midst of a clinically diagnosed mental health crisis at the time of his arrival and while in the care of medical staff.

"The plaintiff was administered medication and his symptoms improved dramatically over the course of March 20 and 21," the statement of defence says.

The SHA acknowledges the sparse nature of the holding room Hill found himself in, intended to reduce the risk of self-harm, but denies the sheets were dirty.

In its legal filing, the SHA says there was a three-hour gap between Hill's initial assessment and the second assessment, which led to his admission to the Dubé Centre.

The health authority also says the doctors named in Hill's lawsuit "acted as independent medical practitioners" but denies they were negligent in their care.

In its statement of defence, the health authority denies Hill's claim of damages and says if Hill is found to have suffered damages, they were the result of his own actions.

Hill's mental health challenges became public in 2021 after he missed the deadline for routine election-related filings, putting his future as a councillor in jeopardy.

The city councillor attributed the lapse to a series of health issues, which included a brain injury and the lingering effects of COVID-19.

A King's Bench judge eventually cleared Hill of wrongdoing,

"Frankly, had Mr. Hill suffered a serious heart incident or been diagnosed with cancer in early February 2021 and therefore been late with filing his disclosure as a result of symptoms and treatment, I have doubts that we would be here at all or that the matter would have been referred to this court for a decision,” Justice Richard Danyluik wrote in his decision on the matter.

“But because a significant component of Mr. Hill’s difficulties involved him being unwell mentally and emotionally, I have sensed a decided lack of acceptance that this could cause him to be late with his filing," Danyluik wrote.

In 2021, Hill was also subject to three integrity commissioner complaints. In two of the complaints, his health was cited as an underlying factor. 

One complaint was related to damage Hill caused in June 2020 after he started making alterations to a shared meeting and lunchroom space at city hall, causing an estimated $10,000 in damage.

Another complaint was about how Hill sought to obtain the identity of a parking enforcement officer who had issued warning tickets in error to residents in his ward.

According to a report from the commissioner, Hill cited his health as contributing to his behaviour in both instances.

The third complaint arose after Hill publicly shared confidential information from an "in-camera" meeting of councillors related to his fight to stay on as the council-appointed representative to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

Hill was stripped of his FCM position after the issues concerning his election filings came to light. 

The city's integrity commissioner found Hill had acted inappropriately in all three instances.

After a council vote, Hill was required to take workplace respect training at his own expense and pay $2,500 for the damage at city hall.

Hill also received a formal letter of reprimand and was required to attend training on ethics and obligations regarding confidentiality.