Hamilton Health Sciences is the latest hospital to begin cuts to services in anticipation of underfunding from the province. In a memo distributed on Wednesday, CEO Murray Martin said notifications would go out next week to affected staff along with offers of early retirement. Matthews indicated to staff that costs were rising by 4 per cent while the best case scenario was for a 2 per cent funding increase from the province. That means a shortfall of $17-$35 million on the hospital’s $1 billion budget. “Because we are already a very lean organization, operating in the most efficient way possible, any further savings we implement will, at this point, affect services,” Martin wrote. Across the city, St. Joseph’s is expected to cut $7-$13 million from its budget to make ends meet. Ontario hospitals have been told to plan three scenarios – a funding freeze, a one per cent increase and a two per cent increase. When contacted by the Hamilton Spectator, Health Minister Deborah Matthews said she couldn’t say whether or not hospitals have a chance of getting a base increase of more than two per cent. “We’re very much in the planning stages right now,” she told the newspaper.
Have your say!
OPSEU has set up a web site where you can quickly assemble an original e-mail to your MPP about the proposed funding freeze. Choose from a series of points and add in your own original thoughts. The site allows you to copy the letter to the premier, health minister and two opposition health critics. Go to www.avoidingzero.ca
OPSEU Diablogue 