Nurses are appalled by operating room closures forced on Fraser Health by the provincial government
The move will increase wait times for patients and compounds problems created by Fraser eliminating more than 200 hospital beds for the seriously ill, when many more are needed
Nurses are appalled the Fraser Health Authority is cancelling elective surgeries needed by patients by closing operating rooms and displacing specially-trained OR and recovery room nurses.
The move compounds problems created by Fraser Health's plan to cut more than 200 acute care hospital beds for the seriously ill by turning them into "transitional" spaces for seniors waiting for care in the community, displacing almost 100 nurses from their positions. An FHA study shows it actually needs 1300 more acute care beds to meet demands, unless it adds that many more long term care beds in the community.
"These cuts are shortsighted and will end up costing more in the long run," says Debra McPherson, president of the BC Nurses' Union. "To meet the budget demands of the provincial government, the health authorities are doing the opposite of what the Liberals promised during the recent election campaign. They're going backwards imposing changes without consulting nurses, increasing waiting times for patients and destroying working conditions and morale for staff. It's appalling."
McPherson is concerned the impact will be to increase the public's appetite for private for-profit healthcare where patients would pay more and get less.
The most serious OR cutbacks so far are at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody, where it's closing one or two of the six operating rooms on alternate weeks. That means 10 specialty-trained nurses have been displaced from their jobs. Also affected immediately is Surrey Memorial Hospital where it's closing two operating rooms and displacing three nurses. More closures are likely elsewhere when special funding runs out at the end of February.
"Our members at these hospitals are devastated, because they know what a severe impact closing operating rooms will have on patients who will have to wait longer in pain for their surgery," says Deb Picco, co-chair of BCNU's Simon Fraser Region. "These cuts are causing huge dislocations and their lives have been seriously disrupted. Nurses are feeling devalued and disrespected."
Liz Ilczaszyn, the other Simon Fraser region co-chair is concerned about the creation of the ‘transitional' beds, "because we're losing acute care capacity without building anything more in the community. When people are sent back to the community without support, the revolving door to the emergency room will keep on spinning."
McPherson acknowledged that Fraser Health has recognized the need for measures to avoid losing nurses and to keep them working productively for patients in the region. A memorandum of agreement provides expedited access to new positions and funding for specialty education for nurses who have been displaced from their jobs and who apply for positions in specialty areas. BCNU is trying to convince other health authorities to follow Fraser Health's example.
"However," McPherson says, "the cuts mandated by the provincial government are completely unacceptable.
The government should not sacrifice the long term goal of building a stronger public healthcare system in favor of their short-term budget concerns."
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