HALIFAX -- The Nova Scotia government and Capital District Health Authority have completed all but one of a report's recommendations to improve public safety and hospital procedures after a fatal beating in Halifax last year.
Kevin McNamara, the deputy health minister, says the 15 measures recommended for the health authority have been implemented while two of the three for the Justice Department are in place.
The response was based on a review that examined the adequacy of patient access to the community, supervision and policies for notifying the public if someone leaves the East Coast Forensic Hospital.
Some of the 18 measures include suspending leaves until a review is done if a patient doesn't return on time, creating an onsite smoking area to end unescorted leaves for smoking and establishing a committee to review decisions about community access before they're approved.
The government came up with the measures after the death of Raymond Taavel, who died while trying to break up a fight in April 2012.
Andre Noel Denny, who is charged with second-degree murder, was on release from the East Coast Forensic Hospital at the time of his death.
Denny was on an unsupervised one-hour pass at the time but he didn't return.
