Lakeshore Hospital emergency department and service interruption: prepare for the worst!
Healthcare professionals at the Lakeshore emergency department can no longer meet the population’s needs due to the dire staff shortage. It looks like this will be one of the worst weekends this summer because, periodically, there are major nurse and licensed practical nurse shortages on certain shifts at a time when the emergency department’s rate of occupancy is at 129%. The Syndicat des professionnelles en soins de santé de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (SPSSODIM) encourages the population to go to other emergency departments in the region for treatment.
Demands since 2018
The SPSSODIM has been denouncing the excessive workload and staffing shortage in the emergency department since 2018. “We’ve lost count of the steps we’ve taken to correct the situation and we promptly set up action plans. Emergency department healthcare professionals signed a petition in March 2019. Even though the employer made efforts to correct the situation, it is unable to attract and retain staff in the emergency department,” explained Johanne Riendeau, President, SPSSODIM.
The ball is in the government’s court
Their working conditions jeopardize the quality and safety of care. The population is not getting the healthcare services it is entitled to. Every week the union works with the CIUSSS employer to prevent service interruptions. The union also asked to quickly direct emergency patients to care units, to speed up the cleaning of empty beds in the hospital (so as not to delay transfers), and to increase the number of beneficiary attendants. “Working conditions aren’t appealing enough and healthcare professionals are going on sick leave due to exhaustion. Our last demand was to pay nurses and licensed practical nurses double, but it was rejected. We are directly addressing the Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, and Premier François Legault, who, at the time being, is paying little mind to the care team and all of its healthcare professionals. The government must take real steps and fast to improve healthcare professionals’ working conditions and make their positions more attractive,” asserted Johanne Riendeau.