The Presidents of Medical Staffs from around the province have written to two provincial cabinet ministers and Horizon Health about gridlock in the acute care hospitals.
The President of the Saint John Medical Staff, Dr. Chris O’Brien says people who come to the hospital for urgent care or surgeries can’t get in because of seniors who are hospitalised when they should be elsewhere. He adds hospitals are not ideal settings for seniors in need of long term care.
The doctors say E-R’s are filled with people waiting for beds, rooms mean’t for 4 patients now have five and patients who are dying aren’t given the dignity of a private room.
They’re advocating home care workers get paid more instead of just over minimum wage and receive better training, provide extra funding for nursing homes to take care of seniors who have special needs, help fund residential hospices in the province and move nursing homes under the Health Department.
