(Queen’s Park) – In April 2008, Dalton McGuinty swore that he would “not cut public services.” However, hospitals across the province are being forced to fire nurses, eliminate beds and cut patient services. Here are a few examples…
St. Mary’s Hospital will close 10 rehabilitation beds, three outpatient clinics and eliminate 17 full-time jobs. St. Mary’s has a $2.8 million deficit.
Quinte Health Care (QHC) will eliminate 45 registered nursing positions. QHC has a $6.8 million deficit.
Cornwall Community Hospital has closed critical-care units and one of two emergency rooms. Cornwall has a $5 million deficit.
The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) will close six beds and eliminate 13 nursing supervisor positions along with paramedical and nursing jobs. CHEO faces a $6.2 million deficit next year.
Hamilton Health Sciences will cut 485 jobs; a number of jobs are expected to be nursing positions. Hamilton’s hospitals are $37.5 million in debt.
Rouge Valley Health System will cut up to 220 jobs and close 36 medical beds in an attempt to eliminate its deficit.
Ontario’s population is aging; Ontarian’s have greater complex care needs than 10 years ago. Ontario’s hospitals are running at 100% occupancy. Hospitals are not being funded based on the volume of work they do, nor the size of the communities they service. Current increases in provincial funding of 2.4% this year and 2.1% next year are not enough to meet rising costs of 4 to 5% due to increasing volumes of work and costs such as salaries for doctors and nurses, heat and hydro.
“Hospital deficits are a province-wide health crisis,” said Elizabeth Witmer, PC Health Critic. “The bed, staff and services cuts we are seeing now are only the tip of the iceberg. More hospitals are already projecting deficits next year. This government is reducing funding and the quality of care for the sickest of the sick. The Premier promised he wouldn’t do this, he promised to protect Ontarians’ health services and nursing positions. The McGuinty government has had five years to develop a plan to address growing hospital volumes and protect patients’ needs. The quality of patient care will continue to be reduced as hospitals across the province are forced to cut even more jobs, beds and services,” added Witmer.
For further information contact:
Elizabeth Witmer, MPP
(416) 325-1306
Backgrounder
According to the Ministry of Health, 52 hospitals in 2007–08 had deficits. Even more hospitals are projecting deficits in 2008–09.
Facility Name
Deficit Before Other Items $CDN
Napanee Lennox & Addington
39,321
Barrie Royal Victoria
1,213,628
Brockville General
65,780
Campbellford Memorial
658,164
Chapleau Health Services
185,730
Clinton Public
90,652
Collingwood General and Marine
30,672
Elliot Lake St Joseph’s
660,132
Fergus Groves Memorial
663,539
Cambridge Memorial
2,522,282
Goderich Alexandra Marine & Gen
296,798
Wawa Lady Dunn HC
418,668
Kingston General
10,681,005
Richmond Hill York Central
746, 000
Burlington Joseph Brant Memorial
1,825,460
Marathon Wilson Memorial
94,728
Matheson Bingham Memorial
73,923
Mattawa General
287,140
Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial
88,240
Peterborough Regional
6,527,901
Little Current Manitoulin
93,976
Smooth Rock Falls
270,645
Strathroy Middlesex General
1,409,439
Terrace Bay McCausland
91,748
Kenora Lake-of-the-Woods District
24,580
Toronto Bridgepoint
10,378
Moosonee James Bay
1,058,434
Winchester District Memorial
554,888
New Liskeard Temiskaming
19,878
Woodstock General
2,927,264
Fort Frances Riverside Health Care
150,242
Markham Stouffville
1,665,599
North Bay General
2,503,230
Timmins & District General
575,916
Smiths Falls Perth & Smiths Falls
15,498
Cobourg Northumberland Hills
522,272
Toronto Humber River Regional
2,170,454
Mississauga Trillium Health Centre
5,034,264
Oakville Halton Healthcare Serv. Corp.
1,292,514
Brampton William Osler
20,570,640
Toronto Rouge Valley
6,243,968
Owen Sound Grey Bruce
1,660,686
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
3,045,018
Belleville Quinte Health Care
1,081,482
Toronto Scarborough Hospital
2,809,706
St. Catharines Niagara Health System
18,454,276
Mount Forest North Wellington
20,864
Sault Ste Marie Sault Area Hospital
11,840,431
Sarnia Bluewater Health
452,491
Cornwall Community Hospital
4,953,450
Huntsville Muskoka Algonquin HC
46,552
Chatham Kent Health Alliance
1,206,312
Public Hospitals Total Deficits
119,946,858
-30-