MEDIA RELEASE
Friday, April 9, 2010
Northern Alberta needs more psychiatric beds
UNA calls on Alberta Health Services to put redeveloping Alberta Hospital Edmonton in its capital budget
Edmonton - The United Nurses of Alberta is calling on Ed Stelmach’s government to proceed with the long-standing redevelopment plan for Alberta Hospital Edmonton.
In summer 2009, the government announced that it would shut down 246 of 410 beds and move patients to different locations. A temporary paused was placed on these plans in January 2010.
“Alberta Health Services and the province wisely backed away from a blow that would have dramatically hurt mental health capacity in the province," President Heather Smith said. “Now it is critical that Alberta Health Services continue to proceed with the long-standing plan to redevelop this important facility. The upcoming AHS capital budget should include plans for AHE.”
If AHS does not announce plans to renew AHE, the closure of this crucial facility will just be a matter of time.
“If they do not announce redevelopment, without saying so, they are eroding this hospital to the point of closure,” says Heather Smith.
“The nature of mental illness is that sometimes people need to be in a hospital and they need specialized care,” said Sheila Hogan, a UNA member and Registered Psychiatric Nurse who works with mental health patients in the community.
Psychiatric hospital beds are an indispensable part of the continuum of care. Care in the community is not as effective without access to psychiatric beds when they are needed to stabilize patients.
Alberta Hospital Edmonton has developed a great psychiatric program and reputation over many years, Sheila Hogan says.
“We have the expertise, let's build on it,” she says.
A report released this week by the Parkland Institute shows Alberta needs more psychiatric hospital beds, not fewer. The report notes Alberta currently has 1,440 mental acute care beds. That is only 39 beds per 100,000 people, compared to the EU average of 100 beds per 100,000. The Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) Position Statement on Psychiatric Bed Levels notes the well-established standard of 50 beds per 100,000 population – 28% more than Alberta has.
“There are 20 years of plans focusing on the need for a mental health centre of excellence. The vision of a regional centre of excellence in mental health is critical to the well-being of our patients in Northern Alberta,” said Sheila Hogan.
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For more information,
Heather Smith, President, United Nurses of Alberta
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