The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says Kitchener-Waterloo hospitals need to hire 1,200 more staff per year to meet patients’ needs and deal with soaring emergency room wait times.
During a news conference Wednesday morning, CUPE members from hospitals and paramedic services said existing staffing shortages will deepen unless urgent action is taken to bring in more employees.
“I definitely think we’re in a crisis situation, said Dave Verch, first vice-president, CUPE Ontario Council of Hospital Unions. “We have a mass exodus of healthcare workers and we’re sounding the alarm bells to the government to take action to turn this tide.”
Verch said the hospital staff turnover rate province-wide is nearly 15 per cent.
Average emergency room wait times increased by 37 per cent at Grand River Hospital and 55 per cent at St. Mary’s Hospital last year, according to the union.
Long emergency room wait times result in offload delays for paramedics. In 2021, offload delays and call volumes in Waterloo region increased by 85 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively, CUPE said.
PARAMEDIC STAFFING ISSUES
The union says the staffing issue stretches beyond the hospital as well, with paramedic retention also becoming a major issue.
Nick Desclouds, president of CUPE 5191, the union that represents about 300 paramedics in Waterloo region, said it falls on the province to find creative ways to help incentivize people to stay in the industry.
“And find ways to make it that you can cope and manage through these stressful conditions more effectively,” he said. “This job is a difficult job. It’s very mentally, physically demanding.”
According to Desclouds, 40 paramedics were hired locally this year but half have already quit or changed professions.
“The demanding working conditions are making it hard to recruit and retain paramedics, as we face high rates of injuries and burnout,” said Desclouds.
He added: “A lot of people that enter this workplace don’t necessarily know exactly what they’re getting into. Sometimes that leads to a shorter than expected career.”
A Wilfrid Laurier University professor who researches the mobility of healthcare workers isn’t surprised, saying the demands of the job are pushing healthcare workers and to other professions.
“I think with the increased pressure, there have been some increased exodus from the sector, early retirement and such. I think also there are nurses who are not necessarily older who have just decided that this work is too intense and demands too much,” said Margaret Walton-Roberts, professor of geography and environmental studies.
HOSPITALS RESPOND
“With our partner hospitals and others in the health system, we are addressing the needs of our patients as individuals and collectively,” Judy Goetz, clinical manager at Grand River Hospital said in an emailed statement.
In another emailed statement, St. Mary’s Hospital said the number of patients seeking care in the emergency department continues to fluctuate and can be higher than usual, resulting in wait times being longer than average.
“As a region, we continue to work together as a system of care and ask for everyone’s patience as we prioritize the needs of each patient,” said Wendy James with St. Mary’s Hospital.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Health told CTV News in a statement: “The Plan to Stay Open will add up to 6,000 more health care workers, including nurses and personal support workers, to Ontario’s health workforce, will free up over 2,500 hospital beds so that care is there for those who need it, and will expand models of care that provide better, more appropriate care to avoid unnecessary visits to emergency department.”
More staff needed at Waterloo region hospitals. | CTV News - CTV News Kitchener
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