Stanton Hospital planning for staff cuts, fewer beds as COVID-era funding ends

The N.W.T. government is planning to cut staff and beds at the Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife, as a COVID-related boost in funding comes to an end on March 31.

The plan comes despite the hospital often being at capacity, and shortly after the territory's finance minister spoke of the numerous vacancies for health care workers in the N.W.T.

David Maguire, a spokesperson for the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA), confirmed the plan in an email, but said there's hope that recently announced federal funding could offset the cuts.

An NTHSSA employee with knowledge of the situation spoke with CBC News on the condition their identity not be disclosed because of possible implications to their employment. 

They said they heard the cuts would involve the loss of a full-time emergency registered nurse position, a licensed practical nurse and all nursing aides on the medicine ward, though the exact number of nursing aides wasn't known.

Maguire told CBC the hospital has been planning for a return to pre-COVID levels due to the expiration of the funding boost, and this could result in "associated reductions to staffing." 

"NTHSSA has been aware of the temporary nature of these increases, however, and used temporary staffing measures such as terms and transfer assignments that align with the funding lapse."

Maguire said the funding expiring at the end of March would result in the loss of three beds on the medicine unit (a return to 25 beds), a loss of three assessment rooms in the emergency department (a return to 12 rooms), and a loss of two beds in the ICU, which had been increased to six beds as required during the pandemic.

The funding was first granted to the hospital during the pandemic to scale up capacity to respond to the public health emergency. Maguire said it was extended another year to help the health authority to transition to the "COVID endemic."

Fiscal strategy

The next territorial budget is scheduled to be debated in May, and although it's possible there could be more funding for the health authority, N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson and Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek unveiled a new fiscal strategy aimed at saving $150 million a year. 

The plan involves a review of all programs and services to find redundancies, which may lead to some programs and services being merged.

But Wawzonek said the review does not mean there will be job cuts. She said the territory has numerous vacancies and needs its public service, and specifically mentioned the shortage of teachers and nurses. 

CBC News reached out to Wawzonek about the end of the COVID-19 funding and whether there would still be cuts at Stanton.

A spokesperson responded, saying the questions were operational, and redirected the request to the health authority.

They also wrote that the territorial government "looks forward to seeing the new federal funding applied to our HSS system as well as the final outcomes of that implementation, as internal planning discussions continue."

Federal funding a possible offset

The funding is set to run out at the end of March, but Maguire said some of these changes could be offset by the $36 million in federal funding for health care Canada recently committed to. 

Maguire said, for example, two detox beds will be added to the medicine unit as a result of the federal funding. 

"At this time, the total known impact of final state staffing — after removal of COVID funding and addition of bilateral funding — is yet to be finalized."

In a newsletter to staff, Lorie-Anne Danielson, the chief operating officer of the NTHSSA, acknowledged the end of the funding could affect the operations. 

She also expressed optimism that the federal funding could "offset any capacity reductions related to COVID funding ending." 

The possible reductions come at a time when healthcare across the territory, and the country, is struggling to operate. 

Staff shortages have led to prolonged closures of the obstetrics unit in Yellowknife and last month there was a temporary pause on birthing services in Inuvik.

Stanton was also at capacity for weeks in January, while several health centres closed due to mechanical issues during a cold snap.