Rouge Valley Health System is not relocating its paediatric and obstetrical services from its Ajax and Pickering hospital.

The health system has found additional short-term paediatric coverage for Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering (RVAP) hospital, and is still in negotiations to resolve the situation for the longer term.

Last week, Rouge Valley Health System announced that as a result of a severe shortage of paediatricians at RVAP, it would temporarily relocate its paediatric and obstetrical services to its Rouge Valley Centenary hospital in Scarborough, on Dec. 14.

"We have been working night and day to resolve this situation. Right now, it's important for us to inform our community of where we are.  In the short term, the relocation no longer needs to take place.  We are working on a longer-term solution today and in coming days.  As of today, we have confirmed that we do not need to relocate the services," says Hume Martin, President and Chief Executive Officer.

"Our primary responsibility is to provide safe, quality care, which was the basis of that decision," explains Martin.  "That fundamental responsibility will continue to guide our decision making."

"We are currently negotiating additional paediatric coverage and working toward a written agreement.  We need to be able to attract and keep a stable complement of paediatricians working at RVAP so that gaps in service donÕt continue.  We have had to rely heavily on locum, or temporary, service from paediatricians for more than two years.  Last week that shortage became severe and we had to announce our plans to move services because we had no paediatricians in place for many days in December and beyond," Martin says.

"So we are not out of the woods yet.  There are still holes in the paediatrician on-call schedule between now and June," he says.

In order to provide long-term stability, paediatricians and others providing support to the obstetrics and paediatrics department will be asked to enter into specific service agreements to support the service.  Negotiations around those agreements continue.

LONG TERM SOLUTION NEEDED

1. Assistance with expediting the Alternative Payment Plan for paediatricians;
2. Approval of the RVAP redevelopment, an expansion long needed to meet the needs of the growing west Durham population;
3. Action on the Child Health Network Report to bring some clarity as to obstetric service delivery models the Ministry will support going forward; and
4. Approval of under-serviced-area status for RVAP.

"This has been a very difficult and challenging time for everyone at Rouge Valley, especially at the Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital, and we thank everyone for their continued commitment to patients and their families through this difficult time of crisis."  Rouge Valley has met with its staff and will be informing its patients by mail.

Martin adds, "We also thank the community for its strong show of concern and on-going support of the redevelopment project, and ask for continued support as we work through these very difficult issues."

The issue remains that there is a perennial shortage of physician coverage, specifically, the availability of paediatricians.  In most Greater Toronto Area hospitals, there is a paediatrician on-call 24 hours a day to support the work of the obstetricians.  Currently, there is a countrywide shortage of paediatricians. Coverage at Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering has been an on-going challenge for more than two years.

"The obstetricians at Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering have told us that they believe that working without paediatric back-up is unsafe, and we fully support their clinical judgment on that issue," explains Martin.

During the past two years, Rouge Valley has provided paediatric on-call support through extensive use of locums Ð temporary physicians hired to cover on-call shifts.  In many months, locums have accounted for more than 50 percent of the call schedule.

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Rouge Valley Health System is an innovative leader in quality family centred care, with regional programs in cardiac care, mental health and paediatrics.  Rouge Valley consists of several health sites, including two hospitals: Rouge Valley Centenary, in east Scarborough; Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering, in the west Durham Region.  Together a team of more than 300 doctors, plus 180 specialist physicians, 1,200 registered nurses and many other professionals, care for a broad spectrum of health conditions. In consultation and partnership with community members, other hospitals, health care organizations and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Rouge Valley continues to improve its programs and create new ones catering to the needs of the growing communities of Scarborough, Ajax, Pickering and Whitby.  It's in our nature to care. www.rougevalley.ca.

For more information please contact:
David Brazeau
Public Affairs and Community Relations Department
Rouge Valley Health System
1-800-667-4028 ext. 4010
dbrazeau@rougevalley.ca