New Falls hospital on back burner

As the new hospital in St. Catharines prepares to open its doors, people in the region’s southern communities are awaiting a decision from the province on plans for a new hospital that would service them. But don’t hold your breath. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne says her government has no immediate plan to decide on a recommendation to build a south Niagara Hospital in

southwest Niagara Falls.

Residents have been waiting since Sept. 14 when Niagara Health System supervisor Kevin Smith’s final report about hospital restructuring to Ontario’s health minister was made public.

In the report, Smith recommended a new hospital for south Niagara be built in southwest Niagara Falls near the QEW and Lyons Creek Rd.

That would replace aging hospitals in Niagara Falls, Niagaraon-the-Lake, Fort Erie, Welland and Port Colborne.

In a Feb. 14 conference call with reporters, Premier Kathleen Wynne said she has no “immediate plan” to consider the supervisor’s recommendation to build a new hospital to serve the region’s southern tier.

While we always consider input from and concerns of the community, I have no intentions of reversing the decision.”

Health Minister Deb Matthews

Wynne said the province has already pumped millions of dollars into a new state-of-theart hospital in St. Catharines — which had a ribbon cutting showcase event Thursday — and has dramatically increased funding to hospitals since the Liberals came to power in 2003.

She said the priority for the NHS now is on developing a “well- governed and managed hospital system.” Once that’s achieved, “we can have a conversation about further capital investment.”

Niagara Falls and Welland residents should also not hold their breath hoping the province will reverse an NHS decision and keep pediatrics and obstetrics from leaving their communities by the end of March.

The services would remain in St. Catharines until a new south Niagara hospital is constructed.

Thousands signed a petition and attended a Jan. 19 rally to oppose the NHS plans to consolidate those services in St. Catharines when the Garden City’s new hospital opens March 24.

Some residents are concerned a new south Niagara hospital is years away from completion and access to care will suffer until services in the area are restored.

Health Minister Deb Matthews said she will not reverse the health system’s decision.

“This decision was made by NHS leadership and clinicians many years ago, and recently confirmed by an expert panel,” Matthews said in a recent e-mail to QMI Agency Niagara. “It was based on best available evidence and after extensive consultation with care providers. The new St. Catharines hospital was built with this decision in mind. While we always consider input from and concerns of the community, I have no intentions of reversing the decision.”