Two winning bidders for the CCAC Niagara's visiting nurse contract may not be able to provide sufficient registered staff, having already forced several weeks delay in the layoff of about 40 VON nurses and registered practical nurses, OPSEU members say.
This uncertainty is causing great concern to patients, particularly those with special needs, who might be left without home care.
"With an overall shortage of nurses province-wide, it is not a surprise that these new providers are having difficulties attracting the registered staff they need," says OPSEU President Leah Casselman. "These managed competitions are driving scarce registered staff out of the profession with lower wages and slashed benefits."
About 25 dialysis patients have told VON nurses they don't know where their care will come from after the VON ceases to provide visiting nurse care. The dialysis patients have been served by nurses specially trained and certified by the Hotel Dieu Hospital in St. Catharines. Few, if any of these nurses are taking up employment with the new
providers, and only the Hotel Dieu can certify staff for this function. No new staff has been trained by the Hotel Dieu to succeed the VON.
During the first week of transition to the new providers, the VON experienced a higher number of referrals than they were expecting under the transition plan the CCAC had established. As these referrals started to decline in the second week, the VON's walk-in clinic experienced a dramatic increase in referrals, forcing them to add
additional staff and extend hours.
"Clearly the CCAC is playing games here, giving the illusion that this transition is carrying on as scheduled," says Casselman. "In reality, they are trying to move around new referrals to hide the fact that the new providers are incapable of carrying out the contracts they were given."
To date, about 10 per cent of patients have been "transitioned" from the VON to Toronto-based St. Elizabeth Health Care and the for-profit CarePartners. Of that 10 per cent, most are being transferred with the few nurses that have gone from VON to the new providers.
However, some of these transitioned patients have not been assigned new nurses, meaning they have been transitioned to nobody, OPSEU says.
"Patients in Niagara are being placed at risk as a showdown is developing between the VON and the Niagara CCAC," says Casselman. "The VON has said they will cease to extend the layoffs beyond the end of the September unless the CCAC signs a contract with them to continue providing visiting nurse care."
OPSEU members met with Health Minister George Smitherman July 30, who admitted the competitive bidding process was creating hardship for home care clients and staff.
"Home care patients in Niagara are stressed about losing their nurses," says Leah Casselman. "If any tragedy follows from this mess, we will hold the Minister directly responsible."
-30-
For further information, please contact:
Debbie Charbonneau - 905-684-2693
Virgery Vanier - 905-227-3770
Rick Janson - 416-443-8888 ext 207
