Southlake Regional Medical Centre has agreed to an Independent Review of patient safety and staffing levels in the Medical Assessment Consultation Unit (MACU).

The MACU is described as "an acute, intensive in-patient unit for patients who don't require the Intensive Care Unit but have medically complex issues needing assessment and whose conditions can change instantly".

Separately, nurses have been raising concerns about the team-based nursing model in the Intensive Care Unit but the hospital has brushed these aside. 

The Chief Executive, Arden Krystal, herself a former nurse, even refused to meet the nurses.

Newmarket Today covers the story here.

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Update on 30 September 2021: from the Era Newmarket: Health Minister must stop "unsafe" care at Southlake.  Vicki McKenna, the President of the Ontario Nurses Association, says Ontario's Health Minister and Newmarket-Aurora MPP, Christine Elliott, has not responded to requests for a meeting with the nurses "even though they are her own constituents". 

This morning I sent the following email to my MPP:

Dear Ms Elliott

I am a constituent of yours. 

You will have read the article in today’s Newmarket Era in which the President of the Ontario Nurses Association, Vicki McKenna, claims that:

“Team nursing in (Southlake’s) Intensive Care unit is dangerous. It was tried - in a failed attempt to save money - and discarded decades ago.”

She says that 95% of the hospital’s ICU registered nurses and registered respiratory therapists want team-based nursing in the ICU stopped. We are told they have asked for a meeting with you but have received no response. 

Besides being my MPP you are also the Minister of Health.

Can I ask if you intend to meet the nurses to hear their concerns? And if not, why not? 

I look forward to hearing from you. 

Update on 10 Ctober 2021: Dawn Gallagher Murphy, the MPP's Office Manager, writes:

"Your concerns are acknowledged.  Your email is received. As to the specific concern raised, yes, I can acknowledge that MPP Elliott is aware of these concerns.  I cannot comment on anything further."

Update on 18 October 2021: The Ontario Nurses Association confirms that the nurses have not, as yet, been invited to meet Christine Elliott to discuss their concerns.

Update on 26 October 2021: From Newmarket Today: Nurses get petition going on Intensive Care Unit staffing concerns

Update on 9 December 2021: from Newmarket Today: Southlake abandons ICU nursing strategy