File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

RIH NURSING

‘Royal Inland Hospital is nearing collapse’; MLA Todd Stone responds to nursing levels

May 3, 2022 | 4:08 PM

KAMLOOPS — “Our healthcare system is in crisis, Royal Inland Hospital is nearing collapse,” Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone told CFJC Today.

Staffing levels in health care settings have been low throughout the pandemic with Royal Inland Hospital regularly operating with their nursing complement at 70 per cent. However, over this past weekend those levels dropped to 50 per cent, leaving Stone to rise Monday in the legislature.

“Over the weekend Royal Inland Hospital was operating at only 50 per cent of normal nursing complements, putting both patients and staff at risk,” stated Stone on Monday during Question Period. “We only know that this is happening because nurses are coming forward anonymously.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic sticking around, and burnout and fatigue moving many nurses to retire or switch professions, the industry is in a vicious circle of staffing challenges.

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“Three out of four (healthcare workers) are experiencing high levels of burnout related to the pandemic, two out of three say their workloads have gone up over the last two years. It’s really going to effect us in the long term, we know that one out of three of our members is looking at leaving healthcare in the next two years because of the stress and strain of the pandemic,” said Mike Old, Hospital Employees Union spokesperson.

“When you talk to healthcare workers who are working in the hospital, notwithstanding their herculean efforts, at how dangerous the situation is becoming for both them and their patients, you realize this crisis is getting worse by the day and the government needs to act and it needs to act quickly,” added Stone.

As government looks to increase the number of health care professionals in B.C., Stone addressed a gaping hole right up the hill from Royal Inland at Thompson Rivers University.

“(TRU) has unused capacity, meaning a whole bunch of additional seats that could be filled on an annual basis at TRU’s nursing program, but for some reason the government is opting not to fill every seat. Meanwhile, down the road at Royal Inland Hospital we have a massive and growing nursing shortage,” said Stone.

The B.C. government did recently announce changes to help accreditation of international nurses, a step the opposition says is too little too late,

“We’re calling on the minister to step up and be held accountable for what we believe based on what we’re hearing from nurses and doctors and other healthcare professionals is a rapidly deteriorating situation that everyone fears has the potential to seriously compromise patient and staff safety moving forward,” said Stone.

CFJC Today reached out to Health Minister Adrian Dix and Interior Health for comment. Neither party made anyone available for interviews on the issue nor did they provide statements.