Health authority unveils plan to address crowding at Saskatoon hospitals

The Saskatchewan Health Authority says it’s adding more temporary capacity and redeploying staff in an effort to address crowding at hospitals in Saskatoon.

The problem of patients set up in hospital hallways became so bad earlier this month that the fire department was called to St. Paul’s Hospital over fire code issues.

Health Minister Everett Hindley called the situation an unacceptable one.

“It’s something that needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed soon,” said Hindley.

On Tuesday, Andrew Will, the health authority’s CEO, said he understands that overcrowding makes life more difficult for both patients and staff members.

“We acknowledge that current hospital capacity pressures create a difficult environment for patients who are seeking care in our emergency departments, and for staff and paramedics who have continued to provide excellent care,” Will said in a statement as the health authority unveiled its plan to address the problems.

“With the release of this action plan, the SHA is committed to taking concrete action to address the immediate capacity pressures facing staff and patients, while also implementing long-term solutions to strengthen health services in Saskatoon.”

The plan outlines the concrete steps the SHA plans to undertake in order to relieve pressure on the hospitals in Saskatoon.

“This includes adding capacity through additional permanent and temporary acute care beds in hospital settings, and supplementing this capacity in community for patients requiring an alternative level of care that can be provided outside of hospital facilities,” the health authority said in a statement.

The action plan also includes measures for temporary staff deployment to support the additional capacity, “while also providing dedicated staff supports to facilitate hospital discharges and care transitions for patients to receive the appropriate level of care in the appropriate care setting.”

The health authority was adamant that those who require care will still receive it, despite the crowding issues at hospitals.

While the plan is being implemented, the authority said it will continue to engage with staff members to hear their suggestions, understand their requirements, and ensure a collaborative approach.

The full plan can be found on the health authority’s website.

Previous steps by the provincial government have already added capacity to Saskatoon’s health-care system, the health authority noted, including the addition of 84 beds at Royal University Hospital, emergency staffing at the ER at St. Paul’s, and three more ambulances operating in the city.

The provincial government has also committed to adding 1,000 new workers to Saskatchewan’s health-care system over the next few years.

–With files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick.