Currently, after hours emergency care in Tumbler Ridge can be summed up in three words: call an ambulance.
But, starting on February 2, BC Emergency Health Services employees started a two week process of voting on whether they might go on strike. If that were to happen, what would happen in Tumbler Ridge?
That is not clear. Northern Health communications says that is not their issue. “These would all be BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) questions, and we wouldn’t be able to comment on what their strike contingency plans to maintain services are,” says Northern Health Communications.
“Ambulances are considered an essential service and it is our expectation that emergency ambulance services will be maintained in Tumbler Ridge during any job action,” they continued.
BCEHS says the province has essential services requirements for the health-care sector, including the ambulance service, to protect the health and safety of the public in the event of job action.
But what are those requirements? According to the Labour Relations Board website, “where a labour dispute has the potential to threaten the health, safety, and welfare of British Columbians, the Minister of Labour may direct the Labour Relations Board to designate minimum levels of service that must be maintained during a strike or lockout. The Board can only designate services as essential and set minimum staffing levels in response to a labour dispute.”
Which means, essentially, we’ll let you know.
According to the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC), who is currently negotiating with the ambulance drivers, they “respect the right of unions to pause negotiations and consult with their members, which can be a normal part of the collective bargaining process.
“BC has robust essential services requirements for the health sector to prevent immediate and serious danger to the health of the public in the case of any job action. At this time, there are still outstanding Essential Service Orders that need to be issued by the Labour Relations Board before any health care union/bargaining association can engage in legal job action.”
Recently, BCEHS released data that shows the two Tumbler Ridge ambulances aren’t always staffed.
According to the report, the primary ambulance was staffed 92 percent of the time between September and December.
Meanwhile the second ambulance was staffed 83 percent of the time.
BCEHS has hired ten full-time paramedics to staff the ambulances after the emergency department hours were reduced.
Between September 1 and January 7, the ambulance was called out—either for emergencies or patient transfers—194 times.
36 of those calls were handled by ambulance crews from Chetwynd or Dawson.
In return, Tumbler Ridge ambulances also responded to 34 emergencies or patient transfers elsewhere in the region, according to BCEHS.
While Northern Health has said they have found a doctor to come to town, that person won’t be starting for over a year.
Meanwhile they continue to look for another pair of doctors to fill vacancies at the clinic, as well as a new nurse practitioner role, a first for the community.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
