Defend Public Healthcare

Too many of our public sector managers and politicians never miss an opportunity to give away work.   That is an unfortunate sign of our conservative times.   Private corporations however aggressively seek ways to expand their business (and their profits) by seizing on emerging health care trends.   Earlier today we discussed how corporations use regionalization to get into the health care business.  Now another example: an enterprising business trying to get in on the growing recognition that clean hospitals are an important part of the solution to hospital superbugs.       Here's  their pitch: According to the  American Journal of Infection Control , high rates of contamination have been recorded in National Health Services organizations, rising from 2% in 1990 to 43% in 2002. This rise in contamination rates may be reduced by implementing disinfection standards. “Everything in a medical environment should be disinfected,” said Dave Huddleston, Econo-Keys operations manager.

Hospital support services continue to be spun off to regionally based third-parties that provide services to a large number of hospitals and other health care providers.   Usually, at least some of the work is taken over by a private corporation.  Another example has just come our way. The start of the fourth diagnostic imaging repository (DIR)in Ontario was announced yesterday. The GTA West DIR project joins three others, the Southwestern Ontario Diagnostic Imaging Network (SWODIN), The Northern and Eastern Ontario Diagnostic Imaging Network (NEODIN), and the Hospital Diagnostic Imaging Repository Services (HDIRS).    eHealth Ontario now reports that this will be the last DIR establshed --earlier they had suggested there would be six. These DIRs cross LHIN boundaries (the GTA West project crosses five LHIN boundaries)  - so the 'regions' are getting ever bigger. University Health Network (UHN) "will manage the funding for the GTA West DIR project and provide the p

There has been relatively little in the media on the Hospital - ONA interest arbitration award (see here for more on the award).     But here is the gist of the media reports so far, first from Sun media: McGuinty was also asked why Ontario nurses will get 0.9% lump sum bonuses the first two years of a new contract after the premier promised to freeze public sector salaries to give a needed break to taxpayers.  He responded that the wage freeze only applied to non-unionized workers employed directly by the Ontario government and not unionized nurses who work for public hospitals.  " We also made it  clear  that taxpayers will not be paying any more money. If you negotiate something beyond zero, you are going to have to find that within your existing budget. " That would mean the deal with nurses will leave the tab with hospitals. The Toronto Star  ran an article with a similar bent, but also noted these remarks: Premier Dalton McGuinty on Friday  admitted  it would be

The Globe and Mail reported last week that payments to the top bosses at Canada's biggest corporations was up 13% last year. But these poor pikers are falling behind: in Britain top boss pay was up 32% . This same bunch is clamoring for cuts to social programs and jobs, things that benefit the rest of us. Next it might be restrictions on collective bargaining. You see, we just can't afford those luxuries anymore...

The central interest arbitration award for Registered Nurses at 137 Ontario hospitals has been released.  Here is the Ontario Nurses' Association's (ONA's) comment: The award provides lump sum payments in each of the first two years of the three-year contract and a 2.75-per-cent across-the-board increase to all classifications in year three. In addition, the award provides benefit, premium (shift, weekend and responsibility pay) and vacation improvements, including health benefits for retirees. Other improvements include those addressing professional issues, leave issues, health and safety and contract enforcement. ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN, says “the agreement addresses the priority issues of the front-line registered nurses and allied health professionals – the backbone of health care. We also believe that the government’s two-year restraint mandate has been met.” Haslam-Stroud notes that the value that nurses bring to patient care actually saves ho

Two recent comments, one from Ontario's not-for-profit long term care organization, the other from the for-profit long term care organization. [1] "A recent analysis conducted by the Association of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s wait list data revealed that two of every three seniors on the provincial list identified not-for-profit homes as their number one choice. This is despite the fact that not-for-profit homes account for just over 40% of all homes in the province."  [ 2 ] "...a recent survey by the sector found that, despite the demand for long term care spaces across Ontario, some 67 homes report having hundreds of empty beds." I'm betting you can guess who said what.  

Here's the latest ' thinking ' from the head of the Northeast Local Health Integration Network:  "Hospitals don't need any more dollars. That money has to be reshifted to the community." Jolly also suggested that it all depends if there is the "political will" to finance other options to keep people at home. In fact, this has been a key part of  health care strategy of every government since 1991:  Bob Rae, Mike Harris, and Dalton McGuinty's included.  They have all preferred to pretend that the hospital wait lists and backlogs can be addressed by a bit more home care.   The result?  Almost twenty-thousand fewer hospital beds, sky-high bed occupancy, and a weak home care system.   Oh -- and long wait lists. It doesn't matter that very few patients in hospitals are actually waiting for home care.  What counts, it seems, is that this strategy diverts attention from policies that could actually reduce the backlogs, i.e. policies that