Botched VGH info system project could cause health care services cuts, says HEU

Union will release full details at media conference call tomorrow at 10 a.m. The Hospital Employees' Union says that today's media coverage of the controversial implementation of a multimillion dollar patient information system at Vancouver General Hospital only scratches the surface. And doesn't take up more serious financial and human resource problems that are outlined in two recently completed consultants' reports. "These problems are so serious that they could result in VGH cutting health care services in order to meet its debt servicing costs to its private sector partners," says HEU secretary-business manager Chris Allnutt. Allnutt will provide full details of the problems identified in the consultants' reviews in a special media conference call tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. Dial in instructions are detailed below. Allnutt is in Montreal at the Canadian Union of Public Employees' National Convention. "Clearly, something has gone horribly wrong with this project implementation," he says, adding that the union was alarmed when it reviewed the consultants' findings. The investigation that sparked today's media coverage was ordered last spring by the health ministry and the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board as result of persistent concerns expressed by VG health care providers. Instructions for dialing into conference call at 10:00 a.m: dial 519-2100 from the lower mainland, 1-604-519-2100 from outside the lower mainland. Then ask for #8376.