Defend Public Healthcare

A recent British academic study found that lives  and millions of pounds would be saved if hospitals took on just one extra cleaner per ward. The study, sponsored by the public sector union UNISON,  found that an extra cleaner had a measurable effect on the clinical environment, cutting the number of patients who contracted MRSA and saving an estimated £30,000 to £70,000 per hospital (that's about $48,000 to $112,000 at current exchange rates). Microbiologist Dr Stephanie Dancer carried out in-depth research into MRSA and cleaning at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. The findings revealed that enhanced cleaning led to a 32.5% reduction in microbial contamination at hand-touch sites, while cases of MRSA fell in the six months of targeted cleaning on one of the wards. They rose again when the extra cleaner moved to another ward, which in turn saw the number of cases fall. Dr. Dancer’s study was published in BMC Medicine. The Ontario government might want to look int

Late last year, the Ontario Auditor General reported on health care acquired infections in long term care homes. Below are some highlights, note in particular the comments regarding cleaning. • There is a high risk of infectious diseases [such as C. difficile, febrile respira­tory illness (FRI), methicillin-resistant Staphylo­coccus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)] spreading among residents of long-term-care homes because they often share rooms and generally eat and participate in activities together. As well, older residents are generally more vulnerable to illness. • The Ministry of Health and LTC does not have information on the total number of cases of health care acquired infections (HAIs) in long-term-care homes. The information collected at the homes the AG visited was generally not compar­able because the homes defined and counted HAIs in different ways. • Homes generally did not have unoccupied rooms to move infectious residents into. • Altho

It looks like we are making some progress in the Cornwall area – according to a local media report , the LHIN has tentatively agreed to contribute half the costs for 20 interim LTC beds at Cornwall Community Hospital. Previously, the LHIN CEO had called the proposal for 20 beds at the Cornwall hospital a "knee jerk reaction." A Cornwall hospital official now says "The Champlain LHIN is showing its commitment to the Cornwall Community Hospital."  The hospital hopes to have the interim long term care beds up and running at least on a temporary basis in the fall.  St. Joseph's Continuing Care (which provides Complex Continuing Care and LTC) in Cornwall is also getting 8 LHIN funded beds. (Despite media reports that the LHIN will add six beds at Glengarry Memorial Hospital, a local source indicates that complex continuing care beds are being changed to stroke beds, with a very modest staffing increase.)  All of this is to deal with the overcrowding at the Cor

Medscape reports today that 'Acinetobacter baumannii' is becoming increasingly prevalent in healthcare facilities.  This is yet another hard to treat hospital acquired infection, joining C. Difficile, MRSA, VRE,  SARS, etc. etc. etc. The A.baumannii infection is drug-resistant and particularly problematic for hospitals. Not only can the bacteria survive for months on wet and dry surfaces, but the mortality from the infection is high — ranging from 8% to as high as 42% for patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Dr. Louis B. Rice, a U.S.  infectious-disease specialist told the New York Times that "In many respects it's far worse than MRSA...There are strains out there, and they are becoming more and more common, that are resistant to virtually every antibiotic we have." The Times adds: "The bacteria, classified as Gram-negative because of their reaction to the so-called Gram stain test, can cause severe pneumonia and infections of the urinary tract, bl

Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan claims  Ontario is seeing "stellar growth", with the Finance Ministry stating  that “the economy grew at annualized rate of 6.2% in the first three months of this year.  The province has now had nine months of uninterrupted economic growth.   Duncan adds:  "We're looking forward to continued good performance in the coming quarters” and brags that the province is growing at twice the rate of the United States.  Moreover, Duncan says the government deficit will turn out to be smaller than he had estimated.  In fact, this would be the second reduction in the estimated size of last year's deficit. A day before the March Budget,  the government lopped $3.4 billion off the estimate they had made in the fall.  Duncan expects that this year's deficit will also be smaller than thought. We should learn more when the Public Accounts come out next month. Might this mean they'll give up hacking away at hospital (and other

The costs of laying off the staff at Brockville General Hospital ($836,863) are not being ‘held against’ the hospital's bottom line, according to the Brockville Recorder & Times . Chief financial officer Steve Read told the paper that the hospital achieved a balanced budget in 2009-10 despite the one-time cost, based on the procedures of the Southeastern Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). In fact, according to the LHIN, Brockville General recorded a $228,524 operating surplus.   Read added that the hospital is moving forward without the burden of a budget deficit looming in the future.  No concern is reported about imaginary balanced budgets in the present.  The hospital cut 15 beds and 30 staff in March.   dallan@cupe.ca

Toronto's national newspaper, the Globe and Mail, yesterday called on Canadian governments to take inspiration from the pending (savage) cuts to the public sector in Britain. Budgets will be cut (outside of health care and ‘foreign aid’) by an average of 25%. A leaked British Treasury document estimated that 600,000 public sector jobs will be eliminated. The Mirror reported on July 4th that the cuts may be increased to 40%, with even more job loss ( http://by.ly/3yrx ). From the 'no surprise here' category --  A new study from the British Fabian Society  ( Don't Forget the Spending Cuts!) indicates that the bulk of the British cuts will fall on working people: the average annual cut in public spending on the poorest tenth of households is £1,344,equivalent to 20.5% of their household income.  That percentage of income remains quite high, until you get to the top. The annual cut in public spending on the richest tenth of households is £1,135, equivalent to just 1.6%