The Ontario government announced October 23 that it will open 1,200 new
hospital beds and 600 other beds and “spaces.”
In total they say there will be over 2,000 new beds and spaces.
This follows a long term campaign by OCHU/CUPE, the Ontario Health
Coalition,
and others on the extraordinarily low level of hospital bed capacity in Ontario.
Among developed nations, Canada has the lowest level of hospital beds per capita
and Ontario bed capacity is significantly below the Canadian average. As a result,
most other developed nations have bed occupancy levels around 75%. Ontario has bed occupancy over 90% and in many cases over 100%. Bed occupancy in hospitals should not exceed 80-85%. High levels of bed occupancy drive emergency room delays, superbug infections, cancelled surgeries, delays and backlogs.
and others on the extraordinarily low level of hospital bed capacity in Ontario.
Among developed nations, Canada has the lowest level of hospital beds per capita
and Ontario bed capacity is significantly below the Canadian average. As a result,
most other developed nations have bed occupancy levels around 75%. Ontario has bed occupancy over 90% and in many cases over 100%. Bed occupancy in hospitals should not exceed 80-85%. High levels of bed occupancy drive emergency room delays, superbug infections, cancelled surgeries, delays and backlogs.
Hospital capacity has been increasingly challenged. Years of real cuts in hospital funding and
effective capacity after 2008-2009 made the situation worse. After
years of meekly accepting the cuts, hospital management began to speak out. The government’s fiscal situation also improved significantly and the government became more sensitive to public needs as the June 2018 election approached. As a result, starting in 2016, we were able to achieve somewhat higher hospital funding.
years of meekly accepting the cuts, hospital management began to speak out. The government’s fiscal situation also improved significantly and the government became more sensitive to public needs as the June 2018 election approached. As a result, starting in 2016, we were able to achieve somewhat higher hospital funding.
Now the government has announced over $100 million to open “over” 2,000
new hospital beds and other health care spaces.
A list of beds and spaces by hospital,
other facility, and LHIN is attached. A further $40 million was simultaneously announced for “post-hospital and preventative care at home”.
other facility, and LHIN is attached. A further $40 million was simultaneously announced for “post-hospital and preventative care at home”.
This is a positive announcement and is another victory for our community
and labour campaign to defend public hospitals. CUPE jobs are strongly connected with hospital
inpatient capacity so, above and beyond the much needed boost to hospital care,
this should also improve employment security for CUPE members. However, the announcement also has some
serious shortcomings:
- Health Minister Hoskins has said he hopes to have most of the beds available within two to four weeks, and all by the end of the calendar year. He has told the media that the transitional spaces are permanent, but, he says, whether the additional beds will remain in place after the upcoming flu season will depend on budgetary considerations.
- In other words, we will have to fight just to keep the beds open past the end of the fiscal year on March 31, 2018. The problem however, is that Ontario was well below needed bed capacity before the usual winter (flu-related) surge in demand for hospital services. So, removing these beds after March 31 will create serious care issues. Our campaign will have to intensify — with the election upcoming and Ontario’s economy and fiscal situation much improved we remain well placed to do that in the months ahead. After the election, the situation may not be as positive.
- Some of the beds and spaces announced will go to for-profit providers. For example, in two cases, largely unregulated retirement homes are cited. The government has consistently fed for-profit providers despite significant problems with their care and costs.
- In many cases, the actual provider of the new beds and spaces have not yet been specified by the government.
Attached
are the numbers of beds and spaces this funding will create, sorted by Local
Health Integration Networks (LHINs).
“Additional beds/spaces” are those that have not yet been allocated to a
particular health service provider within the LHIN, but will be allocated
“based on need” at a later date.
Health Care Facility
|
Beds or Spaces
|
|
|
ERIE ST. CLAIR LHIN
|
|
Windsor Regional Hospital Beds
|
20
|
Bluewater Health Beds
|
10
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
24
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in the Erie
St. Clair Region
(a partnership with the LHIN, Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario and March of Dimes) |
113
|
|
|
SOUTH WEST LHIN
|
|
London Health Sciences Centre ─ University
Hospital Beds
|
10
|
London Health Sciences Centre ─ Victoria
Hospital Beds
|
14
|
London Health Sciences Centre Mental Health Beds
|
24
|
St. Joseph’s Health Care Beds
|
6
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
43
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in London (a partnership
with the LHIN, London Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph’s Health Care London
and Canadian Mental Health Association ─ Middlesex)
|
5
|
|
WATERLOO WELLINGTON LHIN
|
Beds or Spaces
|
Grand River Hospital ─
Kitchener-Waterloo Site Beds
|
7
|
St. Mary’s General Hospital Beds
|
4
|
Cambridge Memorial Hospital Beds
|
4
|
St. Joseph’s Health Centre Beds
|
7
|
Groves Memorial Community Hospital Beds
|
2
|
North Wellington Health Care Beds
|
1
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
22
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in the Waterloo-Wellington
Region
|
20
|
|
|
HAMILTON NIAGARA HALDIMAND BRANT LHIN
|
|
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation ─ Juravinski
Site Beds
|
15
|
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation ─ General Site
Beds
|
15
|
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation NICU
Bassinets
|
3
|
Niagara Health System ─ Welland Site
Beds
|
25
|
Niagara Health System ─ General Site
Beds
|
1
|
St. Joseph’s Health Care Hamilton ─ Charlton Site
Beds
|
24
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
65
|
HAMILTON NIAGARA HALDIMAND BRANT LHIN continued
|
Beds or Spaces
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces at Niagara
Retirement Home
|
10
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in Hamilton
(services offered by AbleLiving Assisted Living Services Provider)
|
6
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces with Wesley
Urban Ministries
|
8
|
Supportive Housing Units at Participation House
Brantford (a partnership with the LHIN and Brant Community Healthcare)
|
8
|
Supportive Housing Units at Six Nations of the
Grand River (a partnership with the LHIN and Six Nations Health Services)
|
3
|
Supportive Housing Units at St. Joseph’s Home
Care (a partnership with the LHIN and St. Joseph’s Health Care Hamilton)
|
40
|
|
|
CENTRAL WEST LHIN
|
|
William Osler Health System ─ Brampton Civic
Site Beds
|
6
|
William Osler Health System ─ Etobicoke
General Site Beds
|
22
|
Headwaters Health Care Centre Beds
|
8
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
31
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in Malton (a
partnership with Brampton Civic Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital and
Ridgewood Court Seniors Apartments)
|
15
|
|
MISSISSAUGA HALTON LHIN
|
Beds
or Spaces
|
Halton Healthcare Beds
|
25
|
Trillium Health Partners Beds (regional beds
working with local partners)
|
72
|
Bridges to Care Beds (supporting Trillium Health
Partners)
|
22
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in the
Mississauga-Halton Region (in partnership with the LHIN, Trillium Health
Partners, Halton Healthcare, Wawel Villa, Sunrise Senior Living, Heritage
House and Del Manor Retirement Home)
|
75
|
|
|
TORONTO CENTRAL LHIN
|
|
University Health Network Beds
|
20
|
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Beds
|
10
|
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre NICU Bassinets
|
2
|
Sinai Health System Beds
|
24
|
Sinai Health System NICU Bassinets
|
4
|
St. Joseph’s Health Centre / Providence
Healthcare / St. Michael’s Hospital Beds
|
22
|
Toronto East Health Network Beds
|
14
|
West Park Healthcare Centre Long-Term Vented Beds
(as regional support for Trillium Health Partners)
|
5
|
TORONTO CENTRAL LHIN continued
|
Beds or Spaces
|
Hospital for Sick Children NICU Bassinets
|
2
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
92
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in the
Toronto Region (a partnership with WoodGreen Community Services, Etobicoke
Services for Seniors, The Rekai Centre, The Neighbourhood Group, LOFT
Community Services, Reconnect, Providence Healthcare, St. Michael’s Hospital,
St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Sinai Health System, Circle of Care, Centre for
Addictions and Mental Health and Community Living)
|
87
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces at University
Health Network’s former Hillcrest site
|
75
|
Supportive Housing Units at WoodGreen Community
Services and
LOFT Community Services (a partnership with the LHIN, Providence Healthcare, St. Michael’s Hospital, Bridgepoint Health, Michael Garron Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Westpark Health Care Centre and South Riverdale Community Health Care) |
77
|
|
|
CENTRAL LHIN
|
|
Southlake Regional Health Centre Beds
|
4
|
Markham Stouffville Hospital Beds
|
4
|
Humber River Hospital Beds
|
4
|
Mackenzie Health Beds
|
4
|
North York General Hospital Beds
|
4
|
CENTRAL LHIN continued
|
Beds or Spaces
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
51
|
Humber River Hospital’s former Finch Site Beds
|
150
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in the
Greater Toronto Area
|
20
|
|
|
CENTRAL EAST LHIN
|
|
Lakeridge Health ─ Oshawa Site Beds
|
22
|
Scarborough and Rouge Hospital ─ General Site
Beds
|
14
|
Scarborough and Rouge Hospital ─ Birchmount
Site Beds
|
8
|
Northumberland Hills Hospital Beds
|
8
|
Ross Memorial Hospital Beds
|
8
|
Peterborough Regional Health Centre Beds
|
20
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
28
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces at Ontario
Shores Centre for
Mental Health Sciences (a partnership with Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Lakeridge Health, Seniors Care Network, Alzheimer Society of Durham, municipal service managers, mental health and addictions supportive housing providers, primary care physicians, Carea Community Health Centre, Canadian Mental Health Association Durham, and nurse practitioner-led clinics) |
20
|
|
SOUTH EAST LHIN
|
Beds
or Spaces
|
Kingston Health Sciences Centre Beds
|
25
|
Kingston Health Sciences Centre NICU Bassinets
|
2
|
Quinte Health Care Corporation ─ Belleville
Site Beds
|
15
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
22
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in Kingston
(a partnership with Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Kingston General
Hospital and Bayshore Health Care Ltd.)
|
10
|
|
|
CHAMPLAIN LHIN
|
|
The Ottawa Hospital Beds
|
45
|
Queensway-Carleton Hospital Beds
|
5
|
Cornwall Community Hospital ─ General Site
Beds
|
15
|
Montfort Hospital Beds
|
5
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
58
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in Ottawa (a
partnership with
The Ottawa Hospital, The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre) |
20
|
Supportive Housing Unit at Bruyère Continuing
Care (a partnership with the LHIN and Bruyère Continuing Carel)
|
12
|
|
NORTH SIMCOE MUSKOKA LHIN
|
Beds
or Spaces
|
Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre Beds
|
36
|
Collingwood General And Marine Hospital Beds
|
4
|
Georgian Bay General Hospital Beds
|
4
|
Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Beds
|
12
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
13
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces in Brechin
and Barrie (a partnership with Helping Hands, Couchiching Health Links,
Barrie Community Health Link, Canadian Mental Health Association, Brechin
Pharmacy, Wendat Housing Supports for Frail Seniors, Alzheimer Society of
Ontario, VitalAire, Housing Resource Centre, David Busby Street Centre,
Acquired Brain Injuries Services, CHIGAMIK Community Health Centre, Barrie
Area Native Advisory Circle)
|
21
|
Supportive Housing Units in Simcoe County
including Barrie
(a partnership with the LHIN and Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre), Orillia (LHIN and Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital), Midland/Penetanguishene (LHIN and Georgian Bay General Hospital) and Collingwood (LHIN and Collingwood General and Marine Hospital) |
48
|
Supportive Housing Units Bracebridge and
Huntsville (a partnership with the LHIN and District Municipality of Muskoka
and Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare)
|
12
|
|
NORTH EAST LHIN
|
Beds
or Spaces
|
Sudbury Regional Hospital Beds
|
16
|
Sault Area Hospital Beds
|
8
|
North Bay Regional Health Centre Beds
|
8
|
Timmins & District Hospital Beds
|
8
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
31
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces (a
partnership with Health Sciences North and Independence Centre and Network)
|
4
|
|
|
NORTH WEST LHIN
|
|
Lake of the Woods District Hospital Beds
|
4
|
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Beds
|
12
|
Additional Beds/Spaces
|
19
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces (a
partnership with St. Joseph’s Care Group)
|
6
|
Short-Term Transitional Care Spaces at Pinecrest
Home in Kenora
(a partnership with Lake of the Woods District Hospital) |
10
|
2017:cope491:djk
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