Crippling health care staff shortage now top priority for N.W.T. health board
CBC, Thu, July 14, 2022
Julie Green, the N.W.T. health minister, in the CBC News studio in Yellowknife. Green said Thursday that her department is
As some health centres in the N.W.T. move to emergency-only services and others reduce their levels of service, the heads of the N.W.T.'s health authorities say solving the staffing crisis that's crippling some health services is their top priority.
In an extraordinary statement issued Thursday afternoon, they said they are "deeply concerned" about the "critical situation".
"Across the country, we are seeing health systems calling for help in a growing issue that threatens the ability to provide the care, services and access that people deserve and depend on," they wrote. "This is a problem that needs solutions at every level, nationally, territorially and locally."
On Wednesday, the territorial government announced immediate health service reductions in many communities, as well as in Stanton Territorial Hospital's operating room, which will have emergency-only services between July 18 and 22.
The service reductions are being driven in large part by a shortage of staff across the territory's health system.
Thursday's statement came from Jim Antoine, the chair of the N.W.T. Health and Social Services Leadership Council; Ted Blondin, the chair of the Tłı̨chǫ Community Services Agency; and Brian Willows, the public administrator for the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.
"We know we need action and solutions now to address the urgent need for health professionals in our communities," the statement reads.
They noted many tools for attracting health workers would need the agreement of other government or stakeholder bodies, and pointed to a special task team they have set up to bring forward immediate recommendations for solutions.
"Immediate and focused collaboration will be the path to solving these issues," they wrote.
Some day-to-day care 'not available'
Speaking with CBC's Loren McGinnis Thursday on The Trailbreaker, N.W.T. Health Minister Julie Green says she hopes the situation won't get worse.
"What we're doing here is really robbing Peter to pay Paul to make sure that Stanton is fully staffed for emergent and urgent care. That has meant, in some cases, pulling in medical staff from other places like the primary health clinic in Yellowknife," Green said.
"There's no question that at this point, in order to make sure we have the emergency care covered, there's some day-to-day care that is not available."
Liny Lamberink/CBC
Green said her department often faces staffing challenges in the summer, but this summer seems to be worse than usual.
"The fallout, I'm sorry to say, is for the residents of the N.W.T., where emergency services in many places are the only services available," she said.
While her department is actively working to recruit doctors and nurses, Green said the worker shortage creates a "vicious cycle" for remaining staff, who have to work harder to cover the gaps in the system. Some have had to consider whether to postpone much-needed holidays; others may need those holidays in order to keep from burning out.
"We don't want people to burn out, we want them to have holidays, but at the same time we need them to work in order to provide the services. So I appreciate it puts people into a real dilemma," Green said.
"They need to make the best choice for themselves."
Looking for solutions
One recent measure her department has taken is paying a premium to locums in order to make the rate more competitive with the rest of the country. The department also continues to hire workers from health care agencies to help increase the size of the workforce.
Green said her department is also looking at whether paramedics could supplement nursing care in health centres — "unconventional approaches to ensure services continue to be provided."
Aside from the staff shortage, Green said the strain on the health care system also appears to be coming from people who put off going for medical attention during the pandemic.
She said she toured Stanton a couple months ago and was told that "people are sicker for longer than before the pandemic" — and though her department is still firming up the data on that, it appears that greater demand for health services is colliding with a decreased ability to meet those demands.
Wednesday's announcement of service reductions are among several recent health care-related shortfalls. Late last month, the laboratory at the Primary Care Centre closed and won't reopen until Sept. 5. That same month, Hay River residents were told to expect intermittent physician services for the summer starting July 5.
It also follows the dramatic, weeks long closure of obstetric care in Yellowknife, which forced dozens of families to leave the territory for births.
The shortage of health care workers is being felt across the country, and the N.W.T. government has developed a task team to come up with some short-term solutions.
Julie Green, the N.W.T. health minister, in the CBC News studio in Yellowknife. Green said Thursday that her department is
As some health centres in the N.W.T. move to emergency-only services and others reduce their levels of service, the heads of the N.W.T.'s health authorities say solving the staffing crisis that's crippling some health services is their top priority.
In an extraordinary statement issued Thursday afternoon, they said they are "deeply concerned" about the "critical situation".
"Across the country, we are seeing health systems calling for help in a growing issue that threatens the ability to provide the care, services and access that people deserve and depend on," they wrote. "This is a problem that needs solutions at every level, nationally, territorially and locally."
On Wednesday, the territorial government announced immediate health service reductions in many communities, as well as in Stanton Territorial Hospital's operating room, which will have emergency-only services between July 18 and 22.
The service reductions are being driven in large part by a shortage of staff across the territory's health system.
Thursday's statement came from Jim Antoine, the chair of the N.W.T. Health and Social Services Leadership Council; Ted Blondin, the chair of the Tłı̨chǫ Community Services Agency; and Brian Willows, the public administrator for the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.
"We know we need action and solutions now to address the urgent need for health professionals in our communities," the statement reads.
They noted many tools for attracting health workers would need the agreement of other government or stakeholder bodies, and pointed to a special task team they have set up to bring forward immediate recommendations for solutions.
"Immediate and focused collaboration will be the path to solving these issues," they wrote.
Some day-to-day care 'not available'
Speaking with CBC's Loren McGinnis Thursday on The Trailbreaker, N.W.T. Health Minister Julie Green says she hopes the situation won't get worse.
"What we're doing here is really robbing Peter to pay Paul to make sure that Stanton is fully staffed for emergent and urgent care. That has meant, in some cases, pulling in medical staff from other places like the primary health clinic in Yellowknife," Green said.
"There's no question that at this point, in order to make sure we have the emergency care covered, there's some day-to-day care that is not available."
Liny Lamberink/CBC
Green said her department often faces staffing challenges in the summer, but this summer seems to be worse than usual.
"The fallout, I'm sorry to say, is for the residents of the N.W.T., where emergency services in many places are the only services available," she said.
While her department is actively working to recruit doctors and nurses, Green said the worker shortage creates a "vicious cycle" for remaining staff, who have to work harder to cover the gaps in the system. Some have had to consider whether to postpone much-needed holidays; others may need those holidays in order to keep from burning out.
"We don't want people to burn out, we want them to have holidays, but at the same time we need them to work in order to provide the services. So I appreciate it puts people into a real dilemma," Green said.
"They need to make the best choice for themselves."
Looking for solutions
One recent measure her department has taken is paying a premium to locums in order to make the rate more competitive with the rest of the country. The department also continues to hire workers from health care agencies to help increase the size of the workforce.
Green said her department is also looking at whether paramedics could supplement nursing care in health centres — "unconventional approaches to ensure services continue to be provided."
Aside from the staff shortage, Green said the strain on the health care system also appears to be coming from people who put off going for medical attention during the pandemic.
She said she toured Stanton a couple months ago and was told that "people are sicker for longer than before the pandemic" — and though her department is still firming up the data on that, it appears that greater demand for health services is colliding with a decreased ability to meet those demands.
Wednesday's announcement of service reductions are among several recent health care-related shortfalls. Late last month, the laboratory at the Primary Care Centre closed and won't reopen until Sept. 5. That same month, Hay River residents were told to expect intermittent physician services for the summer starting July 5.
It also follows the dramatic, weeks long closure of obstetric care in Yellowknife, which forced dozens of families to leave the territory for births.
The shortage of health care workers is being felt across the country, and the N.W.T. government has developed a task team to come up with some short-term solutions.
Thu, July 14, 2022
Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane responds to a question from the media on the final day of the summer meeting of Canada's Premiers at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, B.C., on Tuesday. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press - image credit)
How much would it cost to make Northwest Territories' health-care system comparable to systems in southern Canada? More than an extra $32 million, says Premier Caroline Cochrane.
Canada's premiers met in Victoria this week for the Council of the Federation summit, and strains on the country's health-care systems were a top agenda item.
The premiers called on the federal government to increase the amount of provincial and territorial health-care costs covered by Ottawa through the Canada Health Transfer, from 22 per cent to 35 per cent, in a joint statement released Tuesday.
The Canada Health Transfer is the largest transfer payment the federal government makes to provinces and territories.
In the Northwest Territories, such an increase as suggested by the premiers, would amount to an additional $32 million, Cochrane said at a media briefing Wednesday.
"While this would help support our already struggling health-care system, it doesn't fully address the gaps that currently exist — additional investment from Canada will be required," she said.
It's hard to put a dollar figure on exactly how much more money the N.W.T. needs, especially amid the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, said Cochrane, but "we do need more."
Health and Social Services regularly runs a deficit
The Health and Social Services Department regularly runs a deficit, said the premier.
"I hate to say it but I often call [Health and Social Services] the poor cousin because other departments are diligently trying to make sure they come within budgets, but how do you say no to health care?" she said.
"As cabinet, we all recognize that although they have a budget, that it will be overextended."
The territory estimates that this year, more than $594 million – nearly 29 per cent of its budget – will be spent on health and social services. Close to $54 million is set to come through the Canada Health Transfer.
In their case for increasing federal health-care transfers, the premiers allude to nation-wide health-care staff shortages, a problem the Northwest Territories is all too familiar with.
This summer, a staff shortage forced the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority to cut lab and diagnostic imaging services in Yellowknife, and physician availability in Hay River. The health authority also blamed a staff shortage for the suspension of birthing services at Stanton Territorial Hospital last winter.
Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press
Staff shortages adding to health care costs, says MLA
Lesa Semmler, MLA for Inuvik Twin Lakes, worked as a nurse, and in other health care roles, in the N.W.T. for 17 years. She said ongoing health staff shortages are costing the territory even more money.
"We have such a shortage in staff that the majority of the staff are always working overtime … and that's something that's not budgeted," she said.
"In my experience in the past, you can't budget for overtime, so it's always just an added expense."
Cochrane said the territory has long struggled to recruit health-care professionals, despite offering attractive salaries and benefits.
The pandemic made things worse, as southern jurisdictions enhanced wages and benefits to draw more health-care workers into their over-burdened systems, chipping away at the N.W.T.'s competitive position.
Cochrane said in response, the territorial government pushed harder to recruit and retain health-care staff, and that this push is now yielding results.
"Just within the last 30 days we're seeing an increase in nurses coming into the Northwest Territories," she said.
"It's a start, but it's something that we're going to have to put a strong focus on, probably for the next couple of years."
Semmler said she hadn't heard about the new nurses, and questioned whether they're permanent or locums.
"Because we've had lots of locum nurses, and that, also, is an extra expense on the health-care system: covering the cost for travel, and the per diems, and all of the other expenses that go along with flying in and out nurses for short terms," she said.
"We need to figure out a way to secure more nurses, and long-term, because the health of the people of the Northwest Territories will only get better when our health practitioners live here and know the people."
Semmler said the ongoing staff shortage isn't the only pressure on the N.W.T.'s health-care system. The territory deals with numerous, exceptional health-care expenses, from medevacs, to medical travel, to out-of-territory long-term care and addictions treatment.
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