‘Unnecessary and harmful’: Redekop addresses urgent care closures at Wednesday press conference

Shocked. Disgusted. Outraged.

These are three of the many words Mayor Wayne Redekop used at a press conference at town hall on Wednesday to describe how people of Fort Erie feel since learning that Niagara Health will be closing the Douglas Memorial urgent care centre on Fridays this summer, as well as Canada Day and the Civic Holiday and Labour Day long weekends.

Close to 100 people filled the council chambers to hear from Redekop, Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates, as well as Port Colborne Mayor Bill Steele, where similar closures are planned for the urgent care centre in his community.

Redekop said he takes exception to accusations that Niagara Health has made in the media that local politicians are “inflaming” the public by criticizing the recent decision, which the health system has stressed is due to a shortage of physicians.

“We all know that Niagara Health can do that all on their own,” said Redekop.

Fort Erie has a long history of battling with the health system dating back to 1997, when rallies were attended by more than 5,000, and again a decade later, regarding planned loss of services at the site.

In 2008, the health system released its hospital improvement plan, which recommended the closure of the site’s emergency room and a conversion to an urgent care centre.

In 2009, a candlelight vigil held on Bertie Street to show frustration with the impending cut in services turned ugly when Dr. David Henry, the site’s chief physician at the time, was arrested and handcuffed while face down against a police cruiser.

He could be seen kicking the police car before he was cuffed.

Douglas Memorial was officially downgraded to an urgent care centre the same year.

In 2023, it was learned that the site was to no longer be open 24 hours a day and that its final closure would be a result of the new hospital currently under construction in Niagara Falls, set to open in 2028.

On Wednesday, Redekop pointed to the six-day-a-week schedule being implemented at the busiest time of year in Fort Erie when tens of thousands of seasonal residents and tourists come to town.

“These closures are unnecessary and harmful,” said Redekop.

Redekop said the announcement about the Friday and long weekend closures was made moments after a meeting he was in with Niagara Health about its physician recruitment efforts.

He called this “disrespectful,” but added “this type of conduct is typical” of the health system.

The mayor also scoffed at Niagara Health’s strategic plan saying there is a focus on “strategic partnerships” and “improved access” to care that’s “close to home.”

Both Redekop and Steele claimed Niagara Health does not have a recruitment program, and that both municipalities have offered to partner with the system through their respective recruitment efforts overseen by Niagara Region.

Redekop used examples of emergency services like police, fire, and paramedics being faced with staffing shortages.

They all “hire more” when there are gaps to be filled, said Redekop, referring to Niagara Health noting there are 111 unfilled physician shifts this summer.

“You take the steps necessary to make sure you can fulfill those roles,” he said.

Redekop, along with Steele and Gates, are hoping the provincial government will intervene and order an “immediate reversal” of Niagara Health’s plans.

“If Niagara Health will not make that decision, then we call on Premier (Doug) Ford and Minister of Health (Sylvia) Jones to immediately direct Niagara Health to reinstate daily operations at the Fort Erie and Port Colborne urgent care centres,” said Redekop.

Gates called the recent move “unnecessary and shortsighted” and that the Douglas Memorial site plays a “critical role” in the community, one that has a population of 36,000 people, half of them seniors.

“Who needs healthcare services more than seniors?”

Reporters in attendance on Wednesday were given a chance to ask questions of the two mayors and Gates at the end of the press conference.

Fort Erie Radio asked Redekop about a recent statement he made about the town growing 10 per cent in the last three years, but also how the local government can bring in new businesses and industry if there is no hospital or urgent care centre in town.

He concurred this will be a struggle.

“Our challenge is going to be how we attract industry and people when they don’t have the services they need,” he said.

Staff from Niagara Health were handing out “fact sheets” to media and residents in attendance once the press conference concluded.

A statement provided to Fort Erie Radio contained similar information.

In an information package on Niagara Health’s website and provided to Fort Erie Radio, the health system says it has “a robust and comprehensive physician recruitment plan.”

Niagara Health says it appreciates and understands Redekop and Steele’s jobs are to advocate for their communities, but the job of hospital leadership is to deliver hospital care, including emergency and acute care services, to the entire region.

“The more we can work together, the better the outcome will be for the people of Fort Erie, Port Colborne and the entire Niagara region,” said Niagara Health’s statement to Fort Erie Radio.

“We are disappointed when misinformation is shared by elected local officials in their zeal to build support for their campaigns,” the statement continued.

“The oversimplification of the complexity of running a regional hospital system is a disservice to the 7,000 physicians and employees who work tirelessly each day at Niagara Health, plus it is undermining the policies and processes critical to ensure patient safety,” said Niagara Health.

“Further, Niagara Health is working tirelessly to recruit more physicians to the region and it’s disingenuous to minimize the incredible challenge of physician recruitment in the face of a province-wide doctor shortage.”

The recently announced reduction in days of service are a “last resort,” says the statement, and a direct result of a critical, ongoing shortage of emergency-trained physicians.

“Even after the reduction of hours at UCCs (urgent care centres), we are facing 111 unfilled shifts across our sites,” said Niagara Health.

Emergency care “must come first, and more than half of these gaps are at the Marotta Family emergency department in St. Catharines–one of the busiest in Ontario–with the remaining gaps in Niagara Falls,” said the statement provided by Niagara Health communications staff.

Niagara Health is short 10 to 15 emergency-trained physicians to meet its needs.

“We are on-boarding five new ED (emergency department) physicians this summer, and we will continue to focus on recruitment,” reads the statement.

Urgent care centres are not “emergency departments,” and are “not equipped for life-threatening conditions and cannot operate safely without an on-site physician.”

Niagara Health says it is “aggressively recruiting emergency-trained physicians across Canada and the U.S.,” as well as offering incentives such as relocation support, working with the local primary care network to encourage primary care physicians to upskill in emergency medicine, engaging in direct outreach to local and international physicians, while also marketing Niagara as a desirable place to live and practice.

“Despite invitations to do so, Fort Erie has yet to bring forward a primary care proposal for the UCC (urgent care centre),” reads the statement.

Provincial primary care funding “went unapplied for in 2023,” and Niagara Health’s recruitment program “has not been promoted locally,” says the health system.

Stay Informed

Events, offers, contests, and breaking news, all delivered straight to your inbox.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Subscribe