37 Queensway Carleton staff, 47 at CHEO take unpaid leave after declining COVID-19 vaccination

Queensway Carleton Hospital (QCH) and CHEO are both putting a number of staff members on unpaid suspensions due to their COVID-19 vaccination statuses.

QCH has placed 37 people on unpaid leave while CHEO has placed 47 on leave after both facilities told their staff members they had to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 15 or face such consequences. 

In a statement to CityNews Ottawa on Friday, QCH explains, 98 percent of staff have made the choice to be vaccinated.

“Unfortunately, a few members of our team have made the personal decision not to get vaccinated. We need to be compassionate toward these team members, but we also need to uphold the highest safety standards.”

The hospital explains that just five full-time staff members made the decision to not be vaccinated. The hospital is losing 11 nurses, but only two are full-time. Other suspended employees are spread across clinical and non-clinical roles throughout the hospital. 

“We have plans in place to fill any gaps in the schedule,” says QCH. “We do not anticipate any impact to our patient care and services.”

The hospital adds that it hopes the unvaccinated staff members will reconsider their decision so that they can remain employed. 

Meanwhile, CHEO says 98.7 per cent of its staff has chosen to comply with its mandatory vaccine policy and three people have been granted a medical exemption. 

“We are thankful to everyone who has taken this critical step to help us deliver on our commitment to always put safety first,” says the pediatric health and research centre in a statement on its website.

“At this moment in time, approximately 70 per cent of the children and youth we serve are not currently eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Furthermore, the proportion of infants, children and youth with compromised immune systems at CHEO is much higher than in the general population. It is our duty at CHEO to do everything possible to protect those within our walls.”

If the 47 CHEO employees decide not to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 29, their employment will be terminated.

Staff members at The Ottawa Hospital have until November 1 to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Montfort Hospital says it will issue a status report on or after October 18, once it has reviewed all the information provided to its Occupational Health and Safety Team.