B.C. nurses are chiming in to say they are appalled by planned operating room closures being forced on Fraser Health by the provincial government.

In Chilliwack, surgical capacity at CGH could be reduced by a third, with one of its three surgical rooms slated to be closed starting in January. (OR closure aimed at cutting costs, Progress Oct.22)

“These cuts are short-sighted and will end up costing more in the long run,” says Debra McPherson, president of the BC Nurses’ Union.

“To meet the budget demands of the provincial government, the health authorities are doing the opposite of what the Liberals promised during the recent election campaign.”

It’s “going backwards” to impose these changes without consulting nurses, she said, which will also create longer wait times, and degrade working conditions for staff.

“It’s appalling,” she said.

The move will slow things down by eliminating more than 200 hospital beds for the seriously ill, when many more are needed.

Nurses are concerned the Fraser Health Authority is cancelling elective surgeries needed by patients by closing operating rooms and displacing specially trained OR and recovery room nurses.

The beds will be turned into “transitional spaces” for seniors waiting to get into complex care homes in the community, displacing almost 100 nurses from their positions.

An FHA study shows it actually needs 1,300 more acute care beds to meet demands, unless it adds that many more long-term care beds.

“Our members at these hospitals are devastated, because they know what a severe impact closing operating rooms will have on patients who will have to wait longer in pain for their surgery,” says Deb Picco, co-chair of BCNU’s Simon Fraser Region. “These cuts are causing huge dislocations and their lives have been seriously disrupted. Nurses are feeling devalued and disrespected.”

jfeinberg@theprogress.com