Ontario's patient ombudsman says in a new report that medical supply shortages last fall for palliative and home-care patients were triggered by one vendor, but the actions and inactions of a government agency contributed.

Patients reported they had to go to hospitals because their home-care supplies ran out, and doctors and nurses reported dying people were unable to get sedatives over a couple of months starting last September.

Ontario Health atHome, the agency that co-ordinates home and community care, has pointed to new supply contracts that took effect Sept. 24.

The patient ombudsman says the issues lessened by December but has given the agency four recommendations to improve, including better oversight and giving patients advance notice of significant service changes.

Patient omb

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