Vernon Jubilee and Kelowna General P3 Projects
Stop the contracting out of hospital trades
and maintenance services
The Interior Health Authority (IHA) is putting the health and safety of patients and workers at risk with its plans to contract out maintenance and trades in the new public-private partnership (P3) towers to be built at Vernon Jubilee and Kelowna General hospitals.
This means that trades and maintenance workers will no longer be directly
employed by the hospital. Instead,
trades and maintenance staff will be employed by the private contractor. And
the private contractor will have the sole authority to manage and direct the
work – completely separate from the hospitals or the Interior Health Authority.Experience in other jurisdictions show that contracted companies won’t be able to meet the unique health and safety needs of our hospitals and other health facilities. They can’t respond quickly to breakdowns, they won’t have the historical knowledge of systems and buildings, they are not versed in infection control protocols and other safety procedures and they don’t chase down, or remake parts in order to fix equipment faster.
In-house trades and maintenance keep hospitals safe and running 24/7
The plant and maintenance personnel who keep the complex plumbing, heating, electrical and other systems fully functioning at Kelowna General and Vernon Jubilee are qualified, experienced professionals.
They know every corner of their facilities: where the electrical cables and water pipes are, how the boilers and air conditioning are serviced and when the backup generators must be tested. And if a piece of equipment or a system breaks down, these dedicated hospital employees often rebuild rather than replace it, saving the health authority tens of thousands of dollars.
Plant services workers understand how important it is that everything is kept in good repair, runs smoothly and efficiently, and is checked and monitored day and night, all year long. They ensure that our hospitals are safe and well-maintained. They have a collective knowledge of our facilities that money can’t buy.
Behind the scenes
Trades and maintenance professionals are among the many “invisible” health care workers who keep our hospitals safe and healthy. The nature of their work finds them in the basement, on the roof, in the boiler room and working with electrical, heating/cooling and plumbing systems in the ceilings and walls.
But their roles are well recognized within their hospitals. They work together and with other health care workers in support and direct patient care to ensure that everything is functioning as it should.
Flood!
Part of Vernon Jubilee Hospital was flooded late last year. Water traveled down four floors. It was 4:00 a.m. Despite the early hour, trades and maintenance workers were at the hospital within 20 minutes. They had contained the damage and made repairs within hours.
Trapped!
On Christmas Day, an elevator broke down mid-floor, trapping a patient inside. The patient had a serious condition and was unable to help with any rescue effort. She also required specific medication within two hours. But the elevator’s servicing and maintenance were already in the hands of a private company, with
no one readily available to respond
to an emergency. The hospital’s electrician was on-shift though, and within 15
minutes, he had the patient out of the elevator and on her way to treatment.Blackout!
The hospital went dark. Everything was down. Despite emergency backup generators, the problem had to be found and resolved quickly or surgeries would be cancelled and other critical functions compromised. The generators were working so the electrician knew immediately that the blackout was a system’s problem – but where. Trades and maintenance personnel fanned out through the hospital, checking with various departments. The kitchen crew reported sparks flying when an electric skillet had been plugged in, just before the blackout. Cause identified and remedied – in 45 minutes. Team work, expertise and systems’ knowledge combined to bring everything back on line. A private company would need three to four hours to do this. That’s too long.
The realities!
In-house trades and maintenance workers make good sense no matter how you look at it. The reality is that their services are not only cost-effective but cost-saving; their innovation and ingenuity is unlimited; and their commitment to their facilities and to public health care is unquestionable. Why would we change that?
Other items of interest:
- Stop the contracting out flyer
- News items
