Whereas the Douglas Memorial Hospital was built primarily with funds left by the estate of William Douglas on his death in 1929; and
Whereas the Douglas Memorial Hospital (“the Hospital”) opened for operation in 1931; and
Whereas the Hospital operated in the black during all of it years of operation (1931-1998) as a full-service hospital under the management and guidance of its own Board of Trustees; and
Whereas the Health Services Restructuring Commission (“HSRC”) recommended in 1998 that Douglas Memorial continue operation as a hospital within the new Niagara Health System (“NHS”), with acute and chronic care beds, emergency and ambulatory services and a range of diagnostics; and
Whereas despite the creation of a standing committee of the NHS Board for Fort Erie, pursuant to recommendation of the HSRC, to assure local input into Board decision making and that no decision to eliminate any inpatient or emergency services would be made unless approved by such standing committee, the NHS embarked on a systematic reduction or elimination of various services at the Hospital until the adoption by the NHS of its “Hospital Improvement Plan” (“HIP”) in 2008; and
Whereas pursuant to the HIP the NHS eliminated emergency and all other health care services at the Hospital in 2009, with the exception of a 24-hour Urgent Care Centre (“UCC”), chronic care beds, palliative care beds and some diagnostics, without the approval of the Hospital standing committee; and
Whereas in July 2023 Niagara Health (“NH”), as it is now designated, reduced the hours of operation of the Hospital UCC to 12 hours, although the public only has access to the UCC from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily; and
Whereas NH has recently adopted a 3 hospital model for the future of hospital services in Niagara that intends to completely close the Hospital, resulting in no urgent, chronic or palliative or diagnostic services in Fort Erie once the new South Niagara Hospital is opened in or about 2028; and
Whereas the most recent population data available indicates that Fort Erie’s current population is 36,200, far greater than projected during deliberations with respect to Niagara Region’s new Official Plan, adopted in July 2022; and
Whereas the Niagara Region’s population is growing at a rate far greater than anticipated by the Province or NH, particularly when projections were being made for the hospital needs of South Niagara when planning for the new South Niagara Hospital; and
Whereas there are over 7,000 Fort Erie residents unattached to a primary care physician, necessitating a primary care “safety net”, such as a UCC or alternative to avoid first point of health care contact at local emergency departments; and
Whereas the UCC at Douglas Memorial forms that primary health care “safety net” in the absence of sufficient primary care physicians or service providers in Fort Erie; and
Whereas the removal of UCC services, chronic care beds, palliative care beds and diagnostics from the Hospital will result in an unreasonable and unnecessary hardship for current and future residents of Fort Erie and will foreclose the use of the Hospital as a safety valve for NH patients anywhere in Niagara in the event the new South Niagara Hospital is unable to meet the demands that the increasing population of Niagara will place on it; and
Whereas a prudent approach to managing the hospital and health care needs of Niagara, particularly South Niagara and Fort Erie, would recognize the value of retaining a fully-operational UCC, with diagnostics and clinics, as well as chronic care and palliative care beds at the Hospital; and
Whereas there is no indication that NH has any intention of changing course on its 3 hospital model for Niagara despite requests by the Town of Fort Erie to continue the services available at the Hospital; and
Whereas the residents of Fort Erie need and deserve equitable primary health care services, including 24-hour Urgent Care and associated services;
Now therefore be it resolved,
- That the Council for the Town of Fort Erie requests that the Minister of Health commit to funding all necessary services at the new South Niagara hospital without the removal or reallocation of operational funding from the Douglas Memorial for the UCC and other current health services, and further
- That the Council for the Town of Fort Erie requests that the Minister of Health direct any and all funding from the Province of Ontario for the operation of the UCC (primary care), chronic care beds and palliative care beds, and all diagnostic and associated services at Douglas Memorial remain in Fort Erie for use by Niagara Health as part of a revised hospital model for Niagara or an alternative model operated by a qualified designated health care services entity working in collaboration with the Town of Fort Erie should NH close Douglas Memorial as a hospital site, either before or following the completion and opening of the new South Niagara Hospital, and further
- That: the Mayor and Town of Fort Erie staff enter into discussions with the Minister of Health and Niagara Health and such other health care providers as deemed appropriate to ensure the continued operation of primary care and other current services at Douglas Memorial, with or without the involvement of NH, and further
- That: the Premier of Ontario, the Honourable Doug Ford, be requested to support this initiative, and further
- That: a copy of this Resolution be provided to the Premier of Ontario, the Honourable Doug Ford; the Ontario Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones; the Prime Minister of Canada, the Honourable Justin Trudeau; the federal Minister of Health, Mark Holland; the four MPPs and MPs who represent Niagara; the Niagara Region and the other 11 local area municipalities in Niagara for support.