Surrey Memorial labour dispute could mean no epidural for women giving birth
Posted March 17, 2016 4:29 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) – If you’re due to have a baby soon and think you’ll end up at Surrey Memorial, night time isn’t ideal.
A contract row means even if you want an epidural, there may not be an anesthesiologist around to give it to you.
Just one in three women get an epidural at that hospital.
That’s compared with 59 per cent nationwide — the lack of a dedicated overnight anesthesiologist for the family birthing unit, according to Dr. Roy Morton with Fraser Health, is a big factor.
“We have close to 12 months to try to come up with some sort of service delivery model that works for the women of Surrey,” says Morton. “I’m hopeful we can do that.”
As a result, all 28 anesthesiologists have been told they’ll be fired in a year’s time unless the overnight position for the birthing unit is filled in some way.
“Every anesthesiologist at Surrey Memorial is currently working around the clock to do what needs to be done,” argues Dr. Roland Orfaly, who points out there is an overnight anesthesiologist in the hospital at all times — just not one dedicated to the family birthing unit.
Morton says if a deal can’t be reached, all anesthesiologists will be fired, and replaced with a new group which is willing to work those overnight shifts.
He says recruitment efforts are already under way in other provinces.
