West Grey 'ready to fight' to save Durham hospital amidst bed losses
Almost two months ago, the emergency department (ED) at Durham’s Community Hospital started an indefinite evening and overnight closure due to a lack of staff.
“We were guaranteed that [the emergency department] would stay as 12 hours, and doing this would solve our issues. 45 days later, ‘Oh no, we’re going to take out the beds now,’” said a frustrated West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles.
On April 24, the South Bruce Grey Health Centre (SBGHC) said an “intensified” nursing shortage requires 10 Durham inpatient beds to be transferred to hospitals in Walkerton and Kincardine.
Durham’s ED will remain open for 12 hours a day, and diagnostic imaging and lab services will remain, but many in the Durham community fear losing their only inpatient beds means their hospital is in danger of closing.
“Tiny steps towards the end. We can see it,” said Save the Durham Hospital group member Kris Kennedy.
At a special council meeting Tuesday, West Grey council agreed to fight the bed losses and seek legal advice on how best to keep the Durham hospital open.
A sign supporting the hospital at Municipality of West Grey’s headquarters in Durham, seen on April 30, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
"The citizens here need to be serviced for our healthcare needs, not have their healthcare needs taken away from them,” said West Grey resident Christine Robinson, who was at Tuesday’s standing-room only special council meeting.
SBGHC officials say they have no plans to close Durham’s hospital, and the bed transitions slated to take place June 3 out of Durham are necessary due to chronic and worsening nursing shortages.
“Our priority is to ensure the delivery of safe and high-quality care, and we will continue to work with both the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health to ensure services are maintained across all SBGHC sites,” said SBGHC President and CEO Nancy Shaw.
SBGHC said they plan to hold town hall meetings about the Durham hospital changes in the near future.
Municipality of West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles, seen on April 30, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
However, the community isn’t waiting. They’re hosting a public meeting at Durham’s arena on May 7 to let everyone know that they don’t want their hospital to close.
“It’s just an important component of our community. And we don’t want to lose it, and we shouldn’t be losing it,” said Kennedy.
“The hospital needs to remain open, the beds needs to stay here, and our ER needs to be enhanced, back to 24-hour care,” said Robinson.
“We’re proud of what we have here and we’re not going to let it go,” said Eccles.
Kennedy said this is the third time over the past 60 years that Durham’s Hospital has been in danger of closing.
The last two times, community pressure and innovative solutions kept the hospital open.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
'Mr. Trump doesn't worry us', says Canadian ambassador
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues the 'Team Canada' charm offensive to U.S. lawmakers and business leaders, Canada's ambassador to the United States downplayed the effect of another Trump presidency on Canada.
WATCH Why today's inflation numbers are good if you have a mortgage
New inflation data is 'welcome news' for consumers and an economist says it could signal the possibility for a interest rate cut as several core measures also continue to ease.
'Miscommunication' Liberals say of Speaker Fergus event invite Conservatives call partisan
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is facing fresh Conservative-led calls to resign, this time over "very partisan" and 'inflammatory' language used – the Liberals say mistakenly – to promote an upcoming event.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Loblaw boycott organizers say they plan to keep movement going past May
The organizers of a month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned stores say they've decided to extend the boycott past May.