General News

Simcoe County Health Coalition ‘rejects’ nurses layoffs at Stevenson Memorial Hospital

March 30, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

A report that 13 nurses are being laid off from Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston is not sitting well with the Simcoe County Health Coalition.

The layoffs come at a time when the “healthcare system continues to face unprecedented high wait times for an increasing array of services, and server short-staffing and underfunding levels,” the Coalition said in a statement.

The Coalition said it is “profoundly disappointed” with the news of the layoffs and vows to continue the fight to improve local healthcare services.

As reported to CTV news and shared in the statement, a spokesperson for the hospital said, “The additional capacity that was included over the course of the pandemic to date will be reduced. The hospital is facing a deficit for the 2022-23 fiscal year, so to help realign the organization’s finances, there will be some changes.”

The Coalition said they are disappointed with the layoff action and will vow to continue the fight to improve local healthcare services.

“These layoffs are a terrible shock to our community,” said Melanie Morris, a member of the Health Coalition. “Losing 13 nurses is very significant to a growing community.”

As the population in New Tecumseth continues to grow, the Coalition claims that services are underfunded and understaffed.

“We are organizing to fight the current government’s efforts to defund our hospitals and privatize healthcare services,” said Anisa Carrascal, Co-chair of the Simcoe County Health Coalition. “We encourage everyone in our country to join us.”

The Coalition had a virtual meeting for volunteers on Wednesday, March 23.

Readers Comments (0)