The family of a Nanaimo man who died by suicide just 35 minutes after being released from hospital says the province’s mental health act needs to change before more British Columbians die.
“He was released without any notification to his family,” said Jesse Flowerdew’s widow, Daisy Bolton, through tears at the B.C.’s legislature Tuesday. “There was no call, no warning, no opportunity for us to keep him safe.”
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Flowerdew did everything right. When experiencing suicidal thoughts this April, he sought help. But minutes after being discharged from Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, Flowerdew was gone.
“The system failed him,” said Bolton.
After being admitted to the psychiatric unit for two nights after expressing thoughts of self-harm, Flowerdew was deemed not a threat to himself and released.
He took a cab home and died by suicide shortly after arriving.
Bolton and Flowerdew’s two heartbroken sisters were at B.C.’s legislature on Tuesday in Victoria, calling on lawmakers to change the Mental Health Act to ensure families are included in discharge care planning.
“We cannot accept a system where someone with a known and documented risk of self harm can be released without communication to the people who love him the most,” said Bolton.
Currently, provincial privacy legislation prohibits health care workers from sharing information unless a patient directs them to.
Flowerdew’s family says that policy killed him.
“He should still be here today,” said Bolton.
In addition to implementing mandatory family/designated contact notification for suicidal patients, Flowerdew’s family is calling for stronger discharge planning requirements like ensuring the patient has safe transportation home, and that health care providers ensure the patient has scheduled follow ups.
They’re also calling for clearer accountability and documentation when high risk people are released from hospital.
Island Health told CHEK News in a statement that their current discharge policy includes giving patients “instructions on when to seek medical care if their situation changes” and “connections to follow-up care services.”
Waiting more than 1 year for change
On April 30, 2025 B.C. Premier David Eby announced a review of the provinces’ Mental Health Act, following the Lapu Lapu Day tragedy.
One month earlier, MLA Elenore Sturko, formerly with the BC Conservatives, put forward a private members bill to address the gaps of family involvement when somebody is detained under the Mental Health Act. It was withdrawn before the debate stage.
According to B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne it was withdrawn to “focus on collaborating together…to have concerns addressed through policy.”
“It has been a year. There’s been no action,” said Claire Rattée, BC Conservative’s Health Critic.
When asked specifically for a timeline during question period, Osborne refused to provide one.
“Soon we will be releasing new guidance to the Mental Health Act,” said Osborne. “This work is underway and it’s important that we get it right and that we do it with the due care and attention and consideration to the complexities of this and experiences people have…We will have more to say about it soon.”
Rattée called Obsorne’s response “tone deaf” given that the government has had a year to come up with what she says could be an easy change.
“I’m not even sure it needs to be an amendment to the Mental Health Act, I think they could just release clinical guidelines. But they’ve chosen not to,” said Rattée.
Flowerdew’s family says just because the system failed him, it shouldn’t continue to fail others.
“Jesse mattered. His life mattered. And his story needs to lead to change,” said Bolton.