Ontario ER closures not unprecedented, health minister says
Ontario’s well being minister mentioned Monday that six hospitals needed to shut departments — together with ERs — over the weekend, however argued that the state of affairs wasn’t unprecedented.
Sylvia Jones made the feedback because the legislature sat for the primary time following the Progressive Conservatives’ re-election in June, and mentioned particular person hospitals work with Ontario Well being to attempt to reassign employees and keep away from such closures after they loom, but it surely occurs “sometimes.”
She disagreed with a reporter characterizing the closures as “unprecedented.”
“No, I am sorry, it’s not,” Jones mentioned. “So, when there are ebbs and flows of a excessive incidence of people who find themselves taking trip — appropriately so — then we have to ensure that we’ve the programs in place.”
Jones mentioned the state of affairs Ontario is dealing with is just not distinctive. Jurisdictions throughout the nation have reported comparable staffing challenges and closures.
Province ‘actively engaged’ in drawback, Jones says
In Ontario, two Ottawa-area hospitals and one in Gray County had been amongst people who closed their emergency departments for intervals of time over the weekend.
The hospitals redirected sufferers to close by emergency departments in the course of the short-term closures.
“My message to the folks of Ontario is, you will have a authorities who’s actively engaged and ensuring that you’ve an area hospital that’s out there, that’s sufficiently staffed,” Jones mentioned.
The president and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Affiliation mentioned the group understands that many Ontario hospitals are experiencing “an unprecedented escalation of staffing pressures proper now” and are working to develop short-term measures to assist preserve providers.
Hospitals engaged on options, affiliation says
Anthony Dale mentioned in a written assertion that the OHA is working carefully with the provincial authorities and Ontario Well being to implement each short- and long-term options to handle the “pressing” health-worker staffing challenges within the province and to make sure that hospitals and different well being supplier organizations “have as a lot assist as doable throughout this historic time.”
“Hospitals are right here to serve and can proceed to do all the things doable to fulfill the wants of the folks of Ontario,” Dale added.
“At this important time, it’s important that everybody stand collectively and work to have a ‘Staff Ontario’ strategy to handle the very difficult points dealing with the health-care system.”
Hospitals have mentioned extreme employees shortages, together with COVID-19 infections and burnout amongst health-care employees are in charge for the short-term closures.
Nurse holidays not resulting in ER closures, union says
Cathryn Hoy, president of the Ontario Nurses’ Affiliation, mentioned Jones’s feedback that instructed nurse holidays are accountable are “disrespectful.”
“That’s such an insult to my members, I am unable to consider it,” she mentioned in an interview on Monday.
Nurses have taken holidays in the course of the summer season in earlier years and it has not led to ER closures, Hoy added.
The ONA and different nursing teams have urged the federal government to repeal laws that capped wage will increase for public sector employees — together with nurses — for 3 years, saying it might assist with recruitment and retention.
Final week, an govt with Ontario Well being, which oversees the province’s well being system, mentioned Ontario hospitals had been experiencing employees shortages at an “unprecedented” stage.
