Panel investigate patient safety, staffing levels at Brantford Hospital

According to the Ontario Nurses’ Association, since 2018 there have been hundreds of cases where patient care at the Brantford General Hospital was at risk, or delayed because of staffing levels.

The hospital was the subject of an independent hearing this week.

“What we’re seeing is that this department is chronically understaffed, there’s a revolving door of staff, lack of leadership in this department,” says President of Ontario Nurses Association Erin Ariss.

The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) says that the emergency department at the Brantford General Hospital is such a mess, patients and staff are suffering.

The President of the ONA says that since 2018, the ER nurses at the Brantford General have identified over 300 cases where patient care was at risk, or there were delays in care.

“What we’re seeing is that patients are seeing longer to see triage nurse, ambulances are waiting longer to be checked in,” says Ariss.

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The staffing levels and patient care were topics of discussion at an independent hearing this past week.

Hospital management, along with impacted ER nurses, and the Ontario Nurses Association, met with a panel of three experts.

Ariss says, “This independent assessment committee will make recommendations and this hospital will have the option to implement them made by this expert panel.”

However, it will be up to the hospital to implement the recommendations.

“Technically they’re not binding legally, however, it would be against anyone’s best interest that if an expert panel anywhere in any sector and you failed to acknowledge them that wouldn’t be in the best interest of patients or the community.”

The findings should be out within 45 days.

CHCH News reached out to the Brantford General Hospital for comment but didn’t hear back.

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