Nurses association expects cuts at HSN

The Ontario Nurses Association expects Health Sciences North to cut its nursing staff, but says any numbers are still up in the air.

“There does certainly seem to be some discussion about loss of registered nursing positions at the hospital in various programs,” said Vicki McKenna, a registered nurse and the Ontario Nurses Association's provincial vice-president.

NDP health critic France Gélinas told media Wednesday the hospital would lay off 34 registered nurses.

But McKenna said that according to her conversations with staff, discussions with the hospital are still ongoing.

“I don't know where that number is coming from,” she said.

Hospital spokesperson Dan Lessard said the hospital's budget process is ongoing. “We're still in the process of looking at how we can find efficiencies, and that includes things like not filling a vacancy through attrition.”

McKenna said the hospital's nursing staff did not give her any indication Health Sciences North will cut programs or lose hospital beds.

She said the discussions appear to be around how staff will be distributed throughout the hospital, and how hours can be cut without losing programs.

While campaigning with Liberal byelection candidate Glenn Thibeault Wednesday, Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins said he was not aware of any potential cuts at Health Sciences North.

“Over the last five years, the funding to the Sudury hospital specifically, has increased by about 26 per cent,” he said. “We've continued to make a significant investment in that level of health care.”