‘We should be increasing nurse care through safe staffing ratios, not gutting an already decimated nursing workforce,’ says ONA official<\/p>\n
Barrie\u2019s Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) has cut 12 nursing positions, a move the Ontario Nurses\u2019 Association (ONA) says will further strain an already understaffed health\u2011care system and reduce the level of care available to patients.<\/p>\n
ONA, which is tracking nursing reductions across the province, says RVH has eliminated 10 full\u2011time registered nurse positions in dialysis, professional practice, emergency, angiography and clinical cancer trials, along with two nurse practitioner roles in geriatrics.<\/p>\n
ONA provincial president Erin Ariss called the decision \u201canother blow\u201d to a system she says is already struggling.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is unacceptable that Ontario, which already has the lowest number of registered nurses per capita in Canada, is cutting more to make up for the underfunding of our public health\u2011care system,\u201d Ariss said in a statement on the association\u2019s website.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cCutting care will make it harder for those in the Barrie community to access care and hurt the safety of patients and workers alike,” she added.\u00a0“We should be increasing nurse care through safe staffing ratios, not gutting an already decimated nursing workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n Ariss says the cuts reflect a broader trend of hospitals reducing staff to balance budgets amid what she described as “intentional\u00a0underfunding” by the province.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Ford government is intentionally underfunding our public health\u2011care system in its quest to justify more privatization, and employers are balancing the books by cutting nurses,\u201d she said. \u201cNow, patients in Barrie will wait even longer for care, nurses and health\u2011care workers will be expected to care for more patients than is safe, and our system will suffer yet another blow. These cuts must be stopped.\u201d<\/p>\n RVH, which recently reported a $7.8\u2011million deficit<\/a>, announced a long\u2011range financial sustainability plan earlier this month aimed at ensuring the hospital can continue meeting the needs of a growing region while maintaining safe, high\u2011quality care.<\/p>\n In a statement, RVH officials say\u00a0the plan focuses on operational efficiency, innovation and aligning resources where they are needed most.<\/p>\n \u201cRVH recognizes the essential role nurses and nurse practitioners play in delivering care and remains committed to supporting and retaining its nursing workforce,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs hospitals across Ontario face growing demand, increasing complexity of care and significant financial pressures, our focus is on ensuring we have the right people in the right roles to support patient care.\u201d<\/p>\n Hospital officials said the positions referenced by ONA were part of a broader resource\u2011alignment process announced June 3,<\/a> noting the changes reflect patient demand, available funding, service levels, benchmarking and utilization.<\/p>\n \u201cConsistent with this approach, RVH is prioritizing redeployment and retention wherever possible, with nursing opportunities available across the health centre,\u201d a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are following the processes outlined in the ONA collective agreement to ensure a fair, transparent, and consistent approach for all impacted staff,” they added.\u00a0“While these decisions are necessary to align resources with patient needs and available funding, it is important to underscore that RVH continues to require strong nursing capacity across the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n