South West hospitals working closely together to reintroduce services

Strathroy, ON – Last week, the Government of Ontario announced that hospitals may begin slowly “opening up” for scheduled surgeries and procedures that were paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Resuming services will depend on meeting certain conditions as outlined in the Province’s framework for resuming scheduled care.

This work is being carefully weighed against the overriding need to ensure hospitals can maintain capacity in the event of any surge in COVID-19 patients. A great deal of work among hospital leaders and clinicians is underway to ensure patient and staff safety and the priority sequencing of services. Plans are being regionally developed and will begin by addressing patients with the highest acuity needs.

Along with their community healthcare partners, South West hospitals are working together to ensure the following:

• a sustained commitment to support long-term-care;
• adequate supplies of personal protective equipment;
• enough supplies of drugs for surgeries;
• the ability to reduce activity quickly should there be a re-emergence of multiple cases of COVID-19 positive patients;
• the evaluation and use of different approaches to care (i.e. virtual care and clinical innovations); and
• the potential for having patients and their care team travel for care.

Hospital leaders understand the significant impact these changes have on patients and families and are committed to doing everything they can to resume care in the safest and most thoughtful way.

A timeline for the reintroduction of services has yet to be determined; however, resuming postponed care will take time and will occur slowly over many weeks and months. Patients will receive notice directly from their hospital or physician as services resume.

Quotes:

“The Middlesex Hospital Alliance (MHA) has been diligently planning toward the gradual restarting of elective activity. As we do so we are committed to the development of a thoughtful and responsible plan. This will organize and operationalize how we will gradually restart elective activity at the same time placing the safety of staff, physicians and patients as a priority. I have the utmost confidence in our internal teams as they continue to work toward the formulation of these plans,” said T. Stepanuik, MHA President & CEO

“We understand the significant impacts this has on our patients and their families and we acknowledge the anxiety and uncertainty associated with these delays. Hospitals are working quickly and collaboratively to develop a nimble and responsive plan to reintroduce services and ensure the safety of our patients, residents, families, physicians and staff across the South West.”

Dr. Gillian Kernaghan, CEO, St. Joseph’s Health Care London and Hospital Lead, South West Region

QUICK FACTS

On March 19, 2020, following the release of a memorandum from the Ministry of Health and then Directive #2 by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, hospitals began to significantly decrease scheduled surgical and procedural work out of concern that our health care system could be overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases.

Throughout the pandemic, hospitals have been delivering urgent and emergent care, with clinicians constantly evaluating the care needs of people who are waiting and moving individuals into the urgent and emergent categories as needed.

Easing Directive 2 does not define a start date for hospital surgeries and procedures – it allows for the implementation of a carefully thought-out plan to resume services.