TORONTO: Without the ability to make meaningful recommendations, Elinor Caplan’s review into home care competitive bidding will not solve the core problem of continuity of care to patients, OPSEU says.
Sue McSheffrey, spokesperson for OPSEU’s Community Health Professionals Division, blasted the government for the limited scope of the Caplan Review.
“It is clear that Caplan only has a mandate to tinker with the process, not replace it,” said McSheffrey. “These constant contract changes are creating significant health risks in the community and provoking shortages of skilled workers in the sector.”
With a narrow mandate from the health minister, Caplan’s review will not be able to explore alternative models of home care delivery or address labour issues that could provide the reasonable solutions. The review also lacks the ability to look at returning workers to the CCACs.
McSheffrey said that her own employer, CCAC Renfrew, was told to contract out by the provincial government but did not do so as it would have doubled the cost of service.
The union questioned the cost effectiveness of pushing skilled unionized professionals out of home care. “Beating up on skilled workers is not efficient: quite the opposite. If there are not enough workers in the home care sector, patients will return to more costly forms of care, including longer hospital stays and residency in long-term
care facilities.”
In October, OPSEU’s community care hotline received dozens of calls from Niagara patients with concerns about their care after VON Niagara lost the visiting nursing contract after 85 years of service to the community.
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For further information:
Rick Janson 416-443-8888 x 207 or cell 416-525-3324
