In Brief: More hospital positions being eliminated / Retirement homes to be regulated / More

The Ottawa Hospital is the latest to announce positions are being cut to balance its budget. Assuming a two per cent funding increase for this coming year, the Ottawa Hospital has to trim its budget by almost $19 million. More than 100 positions are being eliminated at the hospital, including 4.35 FTEs from among OPSEU represented positions. … The Sudbury Regional Hospital is cutting 41,000 cleaning hours at the hospital and expanding contracting out. The affected members belong to CUPE. …  The Ontario government is launching a probe into two mistaken mastectomies performed at the Windsor Hotel-Dieu Hospital dating back to 2003. The actions of two doctors is also under investigation by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. The Toronto Star reports that “seven serious cases of concern” have been the subject of a pathology review. … Dr. José Pereira, medical chief of palliative care services at Bruyère Contining Care and The Ottawa Hospital, has told the LHIN that Eastern Ontario needs more palliative care services to allow people to spend their final days in a more humane and less costly settings, such as hospices and nursing homes. Reported in the Ottawa Citizen, Pereira said on any given day between 10 and 16 terminally ill patients at The Ottawa Hospital wait for transfer to a hospice or nursing home. … Seniors Minister Gerry Phillips says he’ll introduce legislation later this spring that will ensure all retirement homes are regulated. The bill will require retirement homes to assess new residents and tell them what services they will be getting. The homes will also be made to meet standards in infection control, safety, staff training and resident services. In Ontario there are about 750 retirement homes serving 41,000 residents.