Ottawa Hospital says for-profit surgeries not affecting staff or other procedures

 The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) said for-profit surgeries are not impacting staff or other procedures at the hospital.

This comes as Ottawa MPP called on the province to investigate cancer patients waiting for surgery, who he said are being bumped by clients at the for-profit clinic operating at the Riverside Campus.

MPP for Ottawa Centre, Joel Harden said the for-profit clinic that has been operating over the last four weekends, was also trying to stop hip and knee surgeries.

“And that has had an impact on our public system's ability to have the staff capacity ready for cancer surgery for patients in urgent need,” said MPP Harden, adding that he's been told this information privately by hospital staff, who fear the repercussions for speaking out publicly. “Every day a cancer patient waits for surgery is another day that patient risks losing their life,” 

He said the clinic has also been offering nurses double the wages they earn in the public hospital system.

Cancer patients waiting for surgery at the #Ottawa Hospital are being bumped by clients of the for-profit clinic operating out of the Riverside Campus.

While this government ducks and smears, we will stand by cancer patients and hospital staff.#PatientsBeforeProfits – always. pic.twitter.com/Tm3jizfnVA

— Joel Harden (@JoelHardenONDP) March 21, 2023

He's now calling on the provincial government to investigate the issue. 

In a lengthy statement to CityNews Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital said care teams at the hospital worked closely with the Academic Orthopedic Surgical Associates of Ottawa (AOAO) and said there is no impact on staffing or surgeries at the hospital when it comes to for-profit surgeries.

The hospital said they started their partnership with the AOAO with the goal of providing more patients with access to the surgeries they need. 

The statement said that physicians and staff have performed 40 procedures at the hospital's Riverside Campus, during the past four Saturdays, meaning 40 people in need of hip and knee surgeries are no longer on the waitlist. The partnership between The Ottawa Hospital and the AOAO “has led to a 20 per cent increase” in surgical productivity.

The statement also went on to say the AOAO has allowed the hospital to increase access to surgical care while ensuring integrated care is maintained for patients and families throughout the region. 

Working closely with the AOAO ensured no impact on staffing at the hospital, and staff from the AOAO are hired from across the region’s healthcare institutions, therefore having access to a larger pool of healthcare professionals, the statement added. 

“In fact, less than half of AOAO’s staff are TOH employees, and they work in a variety of roles at the hospital Registered Nurses (RNs), Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs), attendants, and clerks with a mix of full-time, part-time and casual staff,” the hospital said. “Not all of them have worked every Saturday during the pilot project.”

The hospital also added, that no patient at The Ottawa Hospital, Academic Orthopedic Surgical Associates of Ottawa or Focus Eye Centre pays for any surgery.

“As with all TOH finances, any efficiencies created in these cases are reinvested into patient care, which is and always will be our priority,” the statement said adding, the cost of a knee or hip surgery at The Ottawa Hospital is approximately $8,000, whereas the cost of doing that same surgery through AOAO works out to $6,400.

Minister of Health Sylvia Jones said surgical backlogs will be addressed by Bill 60, where more private and standalone clinics can operate.