Defend Public Healthcare

With most of the focus on squeezing hospital budgets, it's good to see that some others are beginning to pick up on the rapid increase in public spending on drugs and doctors, a point OCHU has been making for some time.  Following the release of a health care spending report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) even Toronto's national newspaper (of the Establishment), the Globe and Mail, has raised concerns: Public spending on physicians has become the fastest-growing expense to Canada’s health-care system, a trend sparking growing calls for an overhaul to the payment system for doctors. The findings are contained in a new report released Thursday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, which also found drug costs are eating up an increasing portion of Canada’s health-care budget. The report provides a stark glimpse of the future of Canada’s health-care system in a world where recessionary forces are squeezing hospital budgets but demand from

Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) has announced that it will spend $8.2 million on severance and early retirement packages. The hospital is cutting over 280 jobs as part of the provincial government's hospital funding squeeze. With another $600,000 spent on retraining, the hospital's 2010-11 deficit will double to $17.8 million. PRHC president and CEO Ken Tremblay notes that the provincial government has sometimes given funding to help with one-time costs such as early retirement and severance packages when a hospital is cutting its deficit. "We haven't turned it into an ask, but we've certainly declared that the pressures that we face are significant...We're hopeful but ... the fiscal recovery plan contemplates that we self-finance this restructuring and we'll see how this progresses with each successive meeting with the LHIN." To cut costs, the hospital is driving down the average length of stay at the hospital. Length of stay in the

Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor has received funding for an additional 14 beds to handle patients who no longer require acute care.   A separate unit will be set up where so-called alternative level of care, or ALC, patients can be treated. The initiative was approved by the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). Pat Somers, Hotel-Dieu's vice-president of operations and chief nursing executive, said the new beds will be in place by January 2011 and remain at the hospital for at least a year. "We certainly welcome this help, but it's in no way going to solve our ALC issue," she said, noting that on Wednesday alone, 67 ALC patients were occupying acute care beds at Hotel-Dieu. Overall occupancy has been 99 per cent and at least three elective surgeries were cancelled due to a lack of beds. Leamington District Memorial Hospital, in the same LHIN, also received funding from the LHIN for 10 specially designated ALC patient beds. Earlier thi

In case anyone had any doubt about the government's plans for hospitals, Health Minister Deb Matthews has set it our repeatedly in the past few days in the Legislature: There are people in hospitals who do not want to be there, who should not be there, who could be better served elsewhere. We also know there are people in long-term-care homes who could, with the right combination of supports, get the care they need at home, in the community.... Too many people are in hospitals who do not need to be in hospitals if they had the right supports outside of hospitals.... People are staying in hospitals for far too long because the other supports are not available for them. That is the challenge that we have set ourselves to. The LHINs’ number one priority right now is reducing the number of people who are in hospitals who ought not to be, do not want to be in hospital, and are not getting the best possible care in hospitals... We are very much putting our focus on improving

Bill 122, the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act , would require LHINs and hospitals to report annually on their use of consultants . The Act however does not require any reports on other forms of contracting-out by the hospitals or LHINs  .  Despite the fact that these other contracts often dwarf consultant contracts.  So it is good to see at least some effort in this direction coming from the Progressive Conservatives. Here is Lisa McLeod, in her comments on the legislation yesterday at Queen's Park: We also suggested all contracts over $10,000 at all public sector bodies be posted online. This is happening in other places across the country. It costs nothing to do. It would allow for people across the province, whether they’re members of the opposition, members of the media or they’re taxpaying citizens to go online and see what companies are making over $10,000 in taxpayer money at various places across the province, but they chose not to do that. This is an easy, af

The Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) hospital is refusing to sign an "accountability agreement" with its Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), fearing it could lead to further service cuts and the loss of one of its two remaining sites (Huntsville District Memorial Hospital and the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital in Bracebridge). The hospital has already closed a third site recently. Board chair Sven Miglin explained “We do not believe that is the best intent for this community. This board firmly believes that Muskoka requires two acute care hospitals.” Local newspapers report that since 2009, the organization has found approximately $3.1 million in savings by closing beds, reducing staff, and shutting down the Burk’s Falls & District Health Centre. MAHC is currently forecasting a $4.2 million deficit for 2010/2011. The deficit is projected to grow to $6 million in 2011/2012. The organization’s working capital deficit is estimated at approximately $11.2 million

The Ontario Hospital Association is awfully repentant for the faulty hospital contracting out that was highlighted this past week by the Auditor General. Here's the OHA's release : On behalf of Ontario’s 154 hospitals, the Ontario Hospital Association apologizes without reservation to all Ontarians for failing to meet their expectations with respect to the hiring and management of consultants. Ontarians have the right to expect that every hospital has the processes in place necessary to ensure that public funds are spent appropriately, and that these processes are always followed. We welcome the Auditor General’s report. We accept his findings completely, and are committed to implementing every one of his recommendations. Our focus now is on moving forward – to implementing the Auditor General’s recommendations, as well as the legislative, regulatory and policy changes proposed by the Government of Ontario. By doing so, we hope to regain the trust and confidence of the Ontari