Defend Public Healthcare

A new line of attack from the Ontario Health Minister, Deb Matthews: cutting hospital beds and Emergency Rooms actually helps your health. "The decision to close - to convert - the two emergency rooms to urgent care centres was a quality of care decision," Matthews said. "It is not a funding cut decision." "When we see hospitals close beds, that's actually in and of itself not a bad news story because so much more care is being provided in the community," Matthews insisted yesterday. When they start saying cutbacks are good, it's probably a sign of things to come. But when we are already at 98% bed occupancy and backed up ERs, the signs are not good. -- Doug

The McGuinty government's hospital bed cuts are coming home to roost. This week the Ottawa Citizen is running a series on the sad impact on one woman who was moved from a hospital to a for-profit retirement home. Here's the comment from the Chief Coroner: "The circumstances surrounding this woman's death should alert health care professionals that, despite pressures to move the frail elderly out of hospitals to other settings ... it is important to remember that these elderly clients are awaiting long-term care home placement precisely because their care needs are so heavy that they are difficult, if not impossible, to provide in a community, private-care setting". The story lists many shortcomings of care in this sad case. As the government forces more hospital bed cuts (another 16 were announced in Cornwall yesterday), there will be more sad stories. As one LHIN CEO said: “We’re going to make mistakes…” -- Doug Got a tip? Email dallan@cupe.ca