Tara Kearsey & Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 01/02) - Jury recommendations resulting from a coroner's inquest into the death of Vawn Ruthven are not legally binding, but the coroner's office does its best to ensure they are not ignored.

"We're hoping that they will respond to the inquest by implementing the recommendations or implementing something that targets the same issues.

"I always argue that they are morally and ethically binding," said chief coroner Percy Kinney.

Last week's inquest into the suicide death of psychiatric patient Vawn Ruthven resulted in several recommendations for the RCMP, Stanton Territorial Hospital, the territorial government and local pharmacies.

Ruthven, 36, was found dead in a Super 8 Motel room March 14 after she failed to return to the psychiatric ward the night before. She had left the hospital on an escorted day pass to attend a Narcotics Anonymous meeting.

All 12 recommendations made to Stanton Territorial Hospital centre on administrative changes. They range from changes in release and observation policy to the development of a written procedure addressing missing patients.

"We're obviously very concerned about the death and we take all the recommendations of the coroner very seriously," said Larry Elkin, Stanton Territorial Health Authority chairman.

The plan is for the hospital to develop an action plan addressing the recommendations. Hospital CEO Dennis Cleaver they plan to move quickly.

"We just received the recommendations. The recommendations look straight forward so we should be able to move fairly quickly," he said. The hospital will be bringing the relevant nurses, doctors and managers together.

"We want to have a first draft of an action plan within a week or two and then begin implementing," he added.

Cleaver said that he believes the recommendations will assist in improving hospital operations.

Kinney said if the agencies identified in the recommendations do not respond within three months, the coroner's office sends another request for action.