Preventing staff turnover has emerged as a major concern for Ontario hospitals in the new system of private clinics for surgery. Anthony Dale, president of the Ontario Hospital Association, commented.
He said Ontario’s plan to reduce the burden of unsolicited surgery carries risks. At present, 26,000 surgeries are pending. The main question is human resources in the health sector. We certainly don’t want to see other employers sharing hospital staff.
The province had earlier announced that it would be used by private surgical centers to reduce the burden of unnecessary surgeries. These include knee and hip replacements. The province is also planning to increase cataract surgery in private hospitals.
The government says safeguards will be put in place to prevent new surgical centers from sharing staff. Applicants for such centers should inform about the staffing plan, so that it does not adversely affect the workforce of government hospitals.
Dale said, “I’m concerned about what the workforce will look like in hospitals when the new model begins.” By 2024, knee and hip replacements will begin in private surgical centers. I have been reassured from a higher level. Still we have a lot of work to do. Some surgeons, nurses and anesthetists may be interested in working in community-based surgical clinics. We have to ensure that their liability to government hospitals is protected.
Last year, 36,805 hip and knee replacements were performed in Ontario. All of these have been replaced in the hospital.
