Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor is renewing his call for an operational review of the Niagara Health System after learning up to 190 elective surgeries at a Niagara Falls hospital will have to be rescheduled because there aren’t enough qualified nurses to assist the surgeons. Health system officials are pinning the blame for the problem on the provincewide shortage of nurses. But Craitor, who first called on the Ministry of Health to conduct an operational review of the health system last fall, says he’s not satisfied with that explanation. “This review has to take place,” a frustrated Craitor said when contacted. “To the person out there, they’re going to read about this and say, ‘What’s going on?’ No matter how you phrase it, 190 patients are going to be delayed and to those 190 people that’s significant.” Health system officials announced yesterday (TUE) afternoon a shortage of operating room nurses has led to the postponement of about 20 per cent of all elective surgical procedures at the Greater Niagara General Hospital (GNGH) between March 17 and May 2.

“We fully recognize and appreciate the impact that any type of postponement has on our patients and their caregivers,” said Anne Atkinson, the health system’s vice-president of patient services. Read more