The total number of Niagara hospital beds (excluding West Lincoln hospital) was 1,315 in 1995-96 (this includes 149 at the former Hotel Dieu general hospital and 124 at the Shaver which became the Dieu).
Facility
|
Acute
|
Psychiatry
|
Rehabilitation
|
Chronic
| ||||
1995/96
|
1997/98
|
1995/96
|
1997/98
|
1995/96
|
1997/98
|
1995/96
|
1997/98
| |
Niagara-on-the-Lake
|
18
|
9
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
20
|
11
|
Douglas Memorial
|
50
|
39
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
25
|
25
|
Port Colborne General
|
50
|
36
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
30
|
24
|
Shaver
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
22
|
22
|
102
|
102
|
West Lincoln Memorial
|
62
|
45
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
16
|
16
|
Welland County General
|
159
|
141
|
16
|
16
|
-
|
-
|
139
|
77
|
Greater Niagara General
|
173
|
173
|
29
|
29
|
-
|
-
|
48
|
48
|
Hôtel Dieu
|
149
|
119
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
| ||
St. Catharines General
|
223
|
201
|
26
|
26
|
-
|
-
|
36
|
36
|
Total
|
884
|
763
|
71
|
71
|
22
|
22
|
416
|
339
|
Now, there are only 926 beds: 787 at Niagara Health Services (including addiction services but excluding NHS long term care beds) and 139 at the Hotel Dieu Shaver.
So there has been a loss of 389 beds (1,315-926). Put another way, there were 42% more beds in 1995-96.
The St. Catharines General site of the Niagara Health System says it has “more than 200 Acute Care and Mental Health beds”. That would be a reduction of from 398 acute and mental health beds in St. Catharines in 1995-96 (at the now closed Hotel Dieu site as well as the General). Assuming 220 beds at the General now, means St. Catharines has approximately 180 fewer beds now or, put another way, they had 82% more beds in 1995-96.
These figures are not particularly unusual for Ontario. Certainly the high level of bed occupancy that has gone with these sorts of cuts is not unusual.
But given the connection between high bed occupancy and superbug infection, I do find it unsettling that there is so little official concern about them. We are even beginning to hear these outbreaks called the "new normal".
Well, if you accept the bed cuts and the housekeeping cuts as normal, perhaps this is the new normal.
Well, if you accept the bed cuts and the housekeeping cuts as normal, perhaps this is the new normal.
Comments
Post a Comment