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The Ottawa Hospital adjusts its spending for fiscal 2014-15

March 25, 2014 — The Ottawa Hospital is reducing its expenses to achieve a balanced budget in 2014-15.

Over the next fiscal year, which starts April 1st, the hospital will trim spending by $20 million, or 1.9 per cent, on a total budget of $1.05 billion. Up to 80 full-time equivalent positions, out of more than 11,000 employees, could be affected.

Of the total number of full-time equivalent positions affected, 29 are currently vacant and would be eliminated. To date, the net number of affected positions that are currently staffed include:

  • 3 full-time equivalents in nursing
  • 13.5 full-time equivalents in unionized administrative and support services
  • 7 full-time equivalents in other health professionals
  • 27.5 full-time equivalents in non-unionized administrative positions.

In keeping with the language of the hospital’s collective agreements, layoff notices will be issued to unionized staff. However, these notices do not necessarily mean employees will leave the hospital. Rather, affected employees will either be redeployed to other parts of the hospital, or be offered early-retirement or voluntary-exit packages.

Over the 2013-14 fiscal year, which ends March 31st, the hospital succeeded in identifying $31 million in savings to balance its budget. Of the 290 full-time equivalent positions that were eliminated, six employees ended up leaving involuntarily.

As in the past, the hospital is committed to working with our union partners to minimize the net number of layoffs.

The hospital’s continuing effort to adjust its spending is being driven by a number of factors.  Like many Ontario hospitals, The Ottawa Hospital is facing unprecedented demand from very ill patients for emergency-department services and inpatient beds. These growth pressures are happening against the backdrop of increasing labour costs, an economy still in recovery and provincial funding reforms focused on delivering high-quality health services for less cost.

The Ottawa Hospital remains committed to providing patients with the best value for money without compromising high-quality care.

Media Contact:
Hazel Harding, Communications Advisor
The Ottawa Hospital
Email: hharding@toh.on.ca
Tel.: 613-737-8460