Clinton Community Working Group Looking For Input From The County On Staff Shortage At Clinton Hospital
by Bob Montgomery
The spokesperson for the Clinton Community Working Group brought members up to date on the meeting with the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA).
Doctor Maarten Bokhout says the meeting in June was called to address the shortage of staff that has resulted in the Clinton Hospital's Emergency Department being closed at night for the last four and a half years. Doctor Bokhout suggested that this unfair situation could be rectified with little financial impact to the HPHA by a system of staff rotation whereby the peripheral hospitals would share the burden of restricted access. He says that was rejected as unworkable.
They also sent a letter to Huron County council to ask how council felt about restricted emergency room access as it applies to ambulance service and they're still waiting for a response to that. He says at this point it appears the HPHA is doing something but what's missing is any kind of timeline. He's optimistic that they have got some information back from them and hopefully they'll get some back from the ambulance service as well and can all sit down together to decide on next steps, starting with a decision on whether they just sit and let the situation simmer through the summer months or do they exert some pressure in some way. He says that will depend to some degree on how soon they get a response from county council and the ambulance service. They're also interested in learning what has been done between Wingham and Listowel compared to what's happening with the HPHA.
Bokhout says he believes there is some movement and he is optimistic that it could lead to a solution but how soon that happens remains to be seen. What they get in the way of feedback from other locations will influence that so they will just have to wait and see.
