AUPE concerned about palliative care closure
Concerns about the implications for staff and patients are being expressed by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees following a recent announcement to close ward Six West at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital.
Of the 55 staff affected by the closure, 29 are AUPE members, according to union VP Susan Slade — 17 licensed practical nurses, six healthcare aides and six unit clerks.
All staff affected will be offered an alternative employment option, said Katherine Chubbs, chief zone officer for AHS south zone.
Those affected have been given options and there are some vacancies within AHS but there is no obligation on the part of private seniors’ facilities such as Masterpiece and the hospice at St. Joseph’s to hire any affected staff, said Slade.
Six West includes up to 12 palliative care beds and about 30 beds mainly occupied by seniors waiting for placement in the community, often referred to as alternative living care (ALC).
AUPE is concerned about private versus public care for seniors.
“We always want to keep the beds in the public facility,” said Slade. “The patients that are on that unit didn’t choose to go into private care and now they’re having to, at an increased cost to patients and their families.”
At the end of the day for private care, the bottom line is profit, said Slade.
The closure of Six West is expected to save about $5.5 million a year, which will be reinvested in health care, said Chubbs.
The decision was reached because MHRH’s palliative care beds were only used at about 50 per cent capacity and Carmel Hospice in St. Joseph’s has had a similar occupancy rate, said Chubbs. By only having Carmel Hospice in future the space will be better utilized and there will be enough palliative care beds to meet the needs of the community.
Without any plans announced for Six West, AUPE is asking for the ward to be converted into public long-term-care, said Slade.
Changes at MHRH will bring the ratio of beds per 1,000 population more in line with other parts of the province. This has taken into account the high number of seniors among the population in Medicine Hat, an AHS spokesperson confirmed.
Until late last week a discussion had not yet taken place with director of palliative care Dr. Josh Foley regarding the decision and how the program would look in future.
Covenant Health has also said it is too early to talk about how the service at Carmel Hospice in St. Joseph’s may change when it is the only facility offering palliative care in the future.