Abbott won't join lobby for more VJH beds

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star  Published: July 24, 2011 1:00 AM

A local politician is reluctant to join the fight to open two additional floors at Vernon Jubilee Hospital to ease overcrowding.  Shuswap MLA George Abbott, who represents Armstrong, Enderby and Falkland, says a number of factors must be considered before the government looks at adding acute care beds at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.  “I am not in a position to be definitive on whether they (two shelled-in floors) should or should not be completed,” he told The Morning Star.  VJH is funded for 148 acute care beds but on average, there are 165 patients daily. Patients are placed in hallways and surgeries have been cancelled.  Residents, physicians, nurses, civic leaders and Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster have been demanding that Victoria complete the two shelled-in floors for acute care beds because of chronic capacity issues.  However, Abbott says the new patient care tower, which will open in September, should create greater efficiencies for patient flow.  “The sensible thing to do is complete the $180 million (tower) and see how they can manage capacity issues,” he said. “There is no experience on what will happen with capacity.”  Abbott, who says he hasn’t received many calls from constituents about overcrowding, believes vacated space in the existing hospital could also be used for patients once the tower is operational. “There are overcapacity issues for a variety of reasons,” he said. “There is a growing need for alternate level of care (residential) beds. I’m advised 46 new beds will come on stream later in the community to deal with capacity. Interior Health is attempting to deal with the situation.”  Ministry of Health officials have indicated that one of the challenges in considering the two floors at VJH is the government’s limited financial resources.  It could cost $10 million to develop each of the floors, and then $10 million each annually to operate the floors.  “Health care has grown every year at about six per cent at a budgetary level,” said Abbott, a former health minister.

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 Abbott out of touch on tower  Editorial - Vernon Morning Star  Published: July 24, 2011 1:00 AM

One has to wonder if George Abbott likes being the odd man out?  The Shuswap MLA isn’t convinced there’s a need to complete the two shelled-in floors at Vernon Jubilee Hospital for acute care beds — a view that is completely contrary to residents throughout the region, physicians, nurses, municipal leaders and Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster.  Abbott claims he hasn’t received many calls from his constituents about surgeries being cancelled and patients being stacked up in halls. But that is surprising given that a recent public rally included residents from Armstrong and Enderby and the Falkand Community Association recently wrote a letter to the editor demanding more acute care beds. But even if Abbott’s phone isn’t ringing off the hook, it’s a well known fact that most of his constituents — even in Salmon Arm and Sicamous — rely on services at VJH. It is his issue just as much as it is for Foster. Before looking at the two shelled-in floors, Abbott insists there is a need to look at any efficiencies the new tower may create in patient flow and to move ahead with residential care in the community.  Both are valid points but keep in mind that VJH is already operating as efficiently as possible and overcrowding still occurs, while the creation of residential care beds for seniors  is a long-term initiative and nothing is going to happen overnight.  One would expect Abbott, as a former health minister, to take a greater interest in an issue directly impacting his constituents. But instead, he does nothing but fuel perceptions about politicians and bureaucracy.