A pilot project that pairs nursing professionals from Windsor Regional Hospital with Windsor police officers continues to make a difference in the community.
The program sees nurse-police teams respond to non-emergency, substance use-related incidents, with a goal of providing needed care and support on-site and hopefully steer those in need away from the criminal justice system or hospital emergency rooms.
During its first outing over the weekend of May 12 to 14, the team had 25 interactions.
Over the past five weeks since the start of the pilot the NPT has seen:
-127 supports for service
-116 referrals to community resources
-64 E.R. visits averted
-18 naloxone dosages administered
-14 fentanyl test strips distributed
-12 substance related wounds treated
An update is provided for the Nurse and Police Team (NPT) pilot program by Windsor Regional Hospital and the Windsor Police Service. June 19, 2023 (Photo supplied by WPS)
The NPT program operates Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.
The program will run until mid-August at which time it will be evaluated for further continuation.
-With files from AM800's Rusty Thomson