An Anonymous Survey between the B.C. Schizophrenia Society and the B.C. Psychiatric Association

Have you ever been involved as a family member or friend in helping a person to be admitted to a psychiatric unit? Have you ever been admitted yourself? Have you ever thought a person was discharged too quickly because of bed shortages? We need your help in learning more about what is currently happening.

The B.C. Schizophrenia Society (BCSS) and the B.C. Psychiatric Association (BCPA) often hear of acute psychiatric unit “bed blocking.” When beds are not available on the hospital psychiatric ward, sometimes people are kept in the Emergency Room for long periods. To make space available, sometimes patients appear to have been discharged prematurely, and sometimes referred to facilities that do not meet their needs.

Please write as much as you would like on any of these questions, and include how you and the person felt through the process and afterwards.

If you have any questions or concerns about this survey, please email prov@bcss.org or call 604-270-7841.

Question Title

* 1. Have you been involved as a family member/friend in getting a person admitted to hospital due to psychiatric illness?

Question Title

* 2. Have you been admitted yourself?

Question Title

* 3. What is your relationship to the person(s) needing the bed? (Mark only one)

Question Title

* 4. What is your postal code or health authority area?

Question Title

* 5. How long did the person(s) stay in emergency before being admitted to an inpatient unit?

  Minutes Hours Days Weeks
Length of Time

Question Title

* 6. During the visit to the emergency department, was the individual restrained or placed in locked seclusion?

Question Title

* 7. If yes to #6 (above), do you believe an extended stay in an emergency department contributed to medical staff deciding to use restraints or a locked seclusion room for the individual?

Question Title

* 8. After being in the emergency department, where was the person(s) needing the bed admitted next?

Question Title

* 9. In your opinion, was the person discharged too soon, apparently due to a bed shortage or a staff shortage?

Question Title

* 10. Was the person

Question Title

* 11. If you/a friend/a family member have experienced an extended stay in an emergency department while waiting for a bed somewhere else, how did that impact your/the person's health?

Question Title

* 12. Tell us in your own words about your experience with access to acute psychiatric beds for the person(s) you care about.

Thank you for your assistance. Family and friends and people with lived experience are very important in helping us understand and improve access to acute psychiatric care beds and related challenges.

T