Provincial influenza funding still falls short: Gates
Niagara hospitals are waiting to learn how much of $90 million in provincial funding they can expect to receive to help them cope with the upcoming flu season.
But local New Democratic Party MPPs said a Tory government funding announcement this week means a funding cut, when compared to the $100 million provided by the former Liberal government last fall.
And even that wasn’t enough to effectively deal with the influx of influenza patients overcrowding hospitals, said Niagara Falls
MPP Wayne Gates.
The funding, announced Wednesday, will support more than 1,100 hospital beds across the province throughout the season, including 640 new hospital beds as part of the province’s commitment to ending “hallway health care.”
In addition, the government plans to build 6,000 new longterm care beds across the province — the first of more than 15,000 new long-term care beds the province is planning over the next five years.
“One patient treated in a hallway is one patient too many,” said Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, in a media release issued following the announcement.
“This move will reduce the strain on the health-care system in advance of the upcoming flu season and work with front-line health-care professionals and other experts to transform the province’s health-care system.”
But, Gates said, considering pressures hospitals faced during last year’s flu season, people should be concerned about the season to come.
He said hospitals across Ontario struggled with overcrowded emergency departments due to the influx of patients with influenza symptoms, despite having $10 million more in funding and 1,200 temporary beds to help cope with the increased demands.
“We ended up with hallway medicine. We have hallway medicine every year, but in flu season it got progressively worse,” Gates said.
“You can’t cut yourself to better health care and that’s what’s happening here.”
St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens said families in Niagara and throughout the area “should be concerned.”
“I think they’re concerned that the cuts of the Conservatives are going to do even more damage than what the Liberals have done in the past,” she said. “Across the province we’re going to be asked to handle this year’s flu surge with fewer resources than last year.”
The Ontario Health Coalition also weighed in on the issue, calling it “a re-announcement of the budget money that was announced by the Wynne government before the election, but worse, it is also a major cut.”
Even with 1,100 additional temporary beds, coalition executive director Natalie Mehra said Ontario still ranks at the bottom of Canada for the number of hospital beds per person.
Oosterhoff did not respond to questions regarding the statements of the NDP representatives and OHC.
Despite the concerns, Niagara Health president Suzanne Johnston called the funding “encouraging,” adding she looks forward to hearing more details about “how this investment will benefit Niagara.”
“We appreciate the province’s recognition of the need to invest in additional hospital resources during the busy flu season,” she said. “Wednesday’s announcement is a welcome addition to the numerous other strategies we have in place to ensure patients receive timely and safe access to care.”
Meanwhile, Johnston said local hospital staff have been meeting with representatives of Niagara’s public health department, the Local Health Integration Network, and long-term care providers, preparing to face the increased pressure that hospitals typically experience during the winter months.
She said “managing the flow of patients through a hospital is a very complex matter impacted by multiple factors.”
“Like other hospitals, Niagara Health cares for a number of patients who no longer require the acute resources of the hospital but need to wait to be safely discharged to another setting because the level of care they need is not immediately available. Although not obvious, backlogs in our emergency departments occur when our inpatient units are full and patients being admitted from the EDs then have to wait for a bed,” she said.
“Improving access to care is a provincial priority, and Niagara Health works closely with the Province of Ontario, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, our Local Health Integration Network and other important community partners to find solutions. Our commitment to all of our patients and families is to continue to introduce new initiatives that enhance the experience for everyone.”