PEC mayor asks QHC board not to support cuts
Administrator | Nov 23, 2015 | Comments 6
November 23, 2015
Tricia Anderson
Chair, Board of Directors
Quinte Health Care
QHC Corporate Headquarters QHC Belleville General Hospital 265 Dundas Street East Belleville, Ontario K8N 5A9
Dear Ms Anderson,
Following Quinte Health Care’s recent announcement of more cuts to Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital, we are headed for a health care crisis in the County.
QHC was handed a funding formula shortfall of $11.5 million for 2016/2017. Last week, it was announced that a total of 84 positions overall are being cut at the three local hospitals – six of those are occurring at PECMH.
The Quinte region is a rural, non-growth area and as a result, suffers at the expense of high growth areas, such as Brampton, by continuously being treated unfairly due to a flawed hospital funding formula. As well, Prince Edward County has one of the highest populations of seniors in Ontario. This correlation between age and the use of medical services is extremely high and the province is putting our most vulnerable population at risk by consistently reducing services.
In 2015, Ontario has lost more than one million hours of registered nursing care due to cuts. For every extra patient added to the average workload of a registered nurse, the risk of patient complications and death increases by 7 per cent.
I respectfully request the QHC Board of Directors to not support the proposed cuts being brought forward at the Nov. 24, 2015 board meeting until such time that the Minister of Health and Long Term Care investigates existing services to those being eliminated at PECMH and other hospitals within Quinte Health Care.
Regards,
Robert Quaiff
Mayor, Prince Edward County
Copy to: Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long Term Care
Todd Smith, MPP, Prince Edward-Hastings
Members of Council
CAO James Hepburn
QHC President & CEO Mary Clare Egberts
SELHIN CEO Paul Huras
Filed Under: Letters and Opinion • News from Everywhere Else
Looking more like TMH is going to be a stand alone. Ministry has requested a report.
Another alternative is for the Board or a majority of the Board to resign en masse. Hospital Boards have little power, as effectively things are run by management and the LHIN who have no alternative except to follow the mandate given to them by Queen’s Park. Should this Board, or a majority, not resign but rubber stamp the management recommendations,then we are free to draw are own County-centric conclusions. And good on the Mayor for writing that letter.
The QHC board supported the staffing cuts unanimously.
Vic; the QHC board members were not copied on this, only the chair.
Don’t hold your breathe!!
Thank you Robert! Now let’s see what our County Board members have the courage to take this step or once again rubber stamp whatever the QHC administration tells them.