Mental health issue going to court
Thu May 01, 2008
AJAX -- The matter of moving mental health beds from Ajax to Scarborough will soon go to the Ontario Superior Court. An injunction hearing regarding the issue has been scheduled for May 16 at Osgoode Hall in Toronto. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union believes the Central East Local Health Integration Network acted improperly in making its decision to move 20 mental health beds from Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital to Centenary Hospital in Scarborough "behind closed doors" and without community consultation, contrary to the Local Health System Integration Act. The CE LHIN approved RVHS's plan in March and, at the same time, invoked a one-month consultation period. But OPSEU believes proper consultation should have taken place before the plan was approved. "When the rubber hits the road, the LHINs owe it to their communities to provide real input on decisions that directly affect health care delivery in the community," said OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas in a press release. "This LHIN has already damaged their credibility by acting in this matter. They have admitted they handled this badly. It's time to fix their mistake." OPSEU is asking the CE LHIN to reverse its decision until full public consultation takes place.