Health minister responds

Letter to Editor Morning Star:

I wish to respond to your May 23rd editorial “Acute care beds needed,” regarding Vernon Jubilee Hospital. As I’ve written previously in your paper, I recognize Vernon Jubilee has struggled with recent surges in ER patient demand, and I commend the staff at the hospital for their exceptional efforts to provide the excellent care they give each and every day. The B.C. government is making a significant investment in Vernon Jubilee Hospital, with close to $100 million for capital improvements, which includes the new diagnostic and treatment tower. Your editorial says that Vernon Jubilee needs new acute care beds, and I agree that this may well be part of the solution for the congestion the hospital experiences. But the ministry cannot act alone on major decisions like these. Because of this, we are in discussions with the regional hospital district, which would of course be an important funding partner in any expanded plans for the project. Until those discussions are complete, it would be imprudent to make any commitments at this time. But I would say once again – as your editorial suggests I am inclined to do – that increasing the number of acute care spaces is not the only solution.

There are patients currently in acute care spaces that would be more appropriately cared for in other types of facilities. Within a matter of months, we will have opened 108 new residential care beds and 24 assisted living units in the North Okanagan. This will include 66 new beds at Vernon’s Creekside Villas, opening within weeks. These new beds will provide some relief for the congestion at Vernon Jubilee. The needs of the Vernon and North Okanagan communities are very important to our government, and the ministry will continue our discussions on Vernon Jubilee’s acute care bed capacity with the regional board, Interior Health and local hospital staff.

George Abbott,
Minister of health