Vitalité confirms health network plans to cut 99 hospital beds
The plan also includes measures to maximize Extra-Mural services across the health network
The Vitalité Health Network's Gilles Lanteigne has confirmed bed cuts are part of a plan submitted to the province's health minister.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, three weeks after part of the plan was leaked, Chief Executive Officer Lanteigne confirmed the information reported by Radio-Canada earlier this month.
"What we've proposed to the minister is to close these 99 beds, but recuperate half of the savings that the closure of these beds will generate, so that we can invest in these services that we feel are much more appropriate to the needs of the population," said Lanteigne.
Acadian Peninsula mobilizing against bed cuts
The plan outlines cuts across New Brunswick, including 20 beds in the Beauséjour Zone, 26 in the Northwest, 12 in Restigouche and 41 in Acadie-Bathurst.
$5 million in savings
Lanteigne says the plan is part of Vitalité's effort to become more efficient and save the province money.
"Annualized saving, that means when it's fully operational, should generate approximately $10 million annually," said Lanteigne.
We can think of respite care, we can think of daycare, day centres … There are so many things that can be put in place that could offer that alternative.- Gilles Lanteigne, Vitalité health Network
To implement the plan, the network will have to re-invest half that amount — approximately $5 million.
The hospital bed cuts would factor heavily into those numbers.
According to Vitalité, close to 24 per cent of the network's beds are occupied by seniors waiting to be placed in nursing homes.
Part of the proposed plan is to utilize outside services, rather than have seniors wait in hospital.
"We can think of respite care, we can think of daycare, day centres, day hospitals. There are so many things that can be put in place that could offer that alternative to the population," said Lanteigne.
"We don't want to close or transform these beds without having these options fully thought out and analysed on the precise impact that it could have on the elderly."
The plan has yet to be approved by the provincial government, and will take 12 to 18 months to be implemented.
Emergency services preserved
The plan also includes measures to maximize Extra-Mural services across the health network, in an effort to offer alternatives to hospital stays.
It also mentions deploying a transcription and voice recognition service for health care professionals, and better utilizing telehealth programs to make the network more efficient.
Citizens, though, are still concerned.
In Caraquet, a committee called "Action H" has been advocating since last winter to retain emergency and hospital services.
Unless we put something else in place to replace those beds, we won't be able to take care of our elderly.- Norma McGraw, community group organizer
And when news of bed cuts leaked to the media recently, community groups on the Acadian Peninsula were concerned.
A public meeting in Tracadie drew more than a hundred people.
"Unless we put something else in place to replace those beds, we won't be able to take care of our elderly," said committee organizer Norma McGraw after that meeting.
McGraw, a former healthcare worker, and her committee wrote to Cathy Rogers, the minister of social development, and Health Minister Victor Boudreau.
McGraw said she received a phone call from Boudreau assuring her no decision would be taken on whether to accept the plan until next spring's provincial budget.
"We hope that we'll be consulted by the government. That's what we want. We don't want just to be told there will be cuts … We want to be part of the solution."
Vitalité officials say they plan to continue consultation with community partners.