B.C. patients learning they were treated by alleged fake nurse
A number of past patients at a Vancouver hospital are learning they were treated by a woman accused of fraudulently posing as a nurse.
Brigitte Cleroux is charged with fraud over $5,000 and personation with intent in British Columbia and is also accused of similar offences in other parts of Canada.
The woman allegedly used a real nurse's name while "providing medical care to patients" at B.C. Women's Hospital, according to the Vancouver Police Department. She worked at the hospital for an entire year, from June 2020 to June 2021.
Patients who are believed to have had interactions with Cleroux are now finding out through letters sent by the Provincial Health Services Authority.
Paige Morris was a patient at the hospital in May 2021, when she was admitted for a surgical abortion.
“The nurse that attended to me and gave me my medication was Brigitte Cleroux,” Morris said. “I remember that she was really rude, like she was really condescending with the other people that were working, her colleagues and stuff. She was shouting a lot.”
Morris said she received a letter last week that notified her that an "individual was involved with the care you received at B.C. Women’s,” though the woman wasn’t named.
Morris then saw Cleroux's photo in the news.
“Her face was on the front of the first article I saw and I was like, that’s the woman that treated me that day,” she said.
Vanessa Sawrey also received a letter after having surgery in February to find an IUD that had “gone rogue” in her body.
“I don't remember which nurses I had really taking care of me, because I was completely out of it,” Sawrey said, adding Cleroux may have been involved in treating her while she was under anaesthetic.
Cleroux has faced similar charges before. In 2010, the professional body that oversees nurses in Alberta issued a warning about Brigitte Cleroux Marier, when she was charged for falsely impersonating a registered nurse. She was previously convicted in Ontario of similar offences and sentenced to six months in prison, fined $60,000 and given two years' probation.
When asked about the allegations during B.C.’s COVID-19 briefing, Health Minister Adrian Dix said it was “completely unacceptable” that a person could work under those circumstances.
A spokesperson for the Provincial Health Services Authority provided a written statement to CTV News, acknowledging Cleroux's record and assuring that the government is "reviewing this matter fully to determine how this occurred, any internal processes that may have contributed to it, and impact to patients.”
Cleroux is currently in Ontario and made her first appearance remotely in B.C. court on Tuesday. The case was adjourned until Jan. 5, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.