Doctors cut deal to keep Saint John ER open

Saint John Regional Hospital officials said Friday they've struck a last-minute deal with emergency room doctors who had threatened to quit because of workload problems.

Last month, 14doctorstold hospital administrators they would walk off the job in late January withouta new deal. The doctors had cited impossible working conditions in the regional hospital's ER.

On Friday, thehealth authority that manages the hospital called a news conference to explain a "contingency plan" if the doctors made good on their threat.

However, board chair Bill Teed showed upto the news conference nearly an hour late, saying intense,round-the-clock negotiations with the doctors have paid off.

"We have the necessary staff to continue to provide emergency room services afterJan. 22.We still have some work to do to fill all staffing requirements but we think we can do that."

Teed says the hospital is confidentit hasenough doctorstokeep the emergency room open.

Non-stop talks

Dr. Jim O'Brien, vice-president of medical affairs, says the hospital has been negotiating with the doctors non-stop for the past 24 hours. He says enough of the 14 doctors who had threatened to resign have now agreed to stay on to keep the service functioning.

Buthe admits,some will likely be leaving.

"I don't have any sense yet that we would be able to keep them all, we may lose several, but overall the situation is far more promising than it was even several hours ago."

Hospital officials would not give any details about the ongoing negotiations with the doctors concerning issues of staffing and salary.

If some emergency room doctors do leave, they say they'll work with existing staff to fill the gaps in the schedule and continue trying to recruit new doctors.

The regional hospital hasbeen stretched beyond its capacityfor several months, and a recent coroner's inquest into the death of an elderly Saint John woman recommended tripling the size and staffing of the hospital's emergency room.