Jeff Heuchert
Staff Reporter

Some 150 local residents were contacted in the past few weeks to give their feedback on the proposed restructuring of services within the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance.

Results from the alliance-commissioned phone survey, which included polling another 500 people across Huron-Perth counties and residents from surrounding rural communities, were revealed last week at the alliance board’s regular monthly meeting.

Alliance CEO Andrew Williams explained the purpose of the survey was to try to gauge support for the individual concepts being proposed.

The alliance’s Vision 2013 plan is looking at a new service delivery model that could include developing centres of specialty at each of the four alliance hospitals (ambulatory surgery in Clinton, rehabilitation and alternate level of care in Seaforth and St. Marys and acute care in Stratford). The plan also calls for a review of emergency room hours at the three smaller rural sites.  

Most disheartening, said Williams, was that despite a series of community workshops and a community report published in local media, awareness surrounding the proposed changes to health care services is surprising limited.

According to the survey, only seven per cent of those contacted in Stratford said they were familiar with the Vision 2013 plan. Of all those contacted across the region for the survey, six per cent, only slightly more than one in 20 residents, reported being even somewhat familiar with the plan.

“There’s been a very limited uptake in the communication material we sent out,” Williams noted. 

The survey was conducted by Toronto-based market research firm Strategic Counsel. Survey results were broken down by community, gender and income. The full 113-page document is available on the alliance website (www.hpha.ca).

Williams noted there  are many positives to take from the survey.

Eighty-eight per cent  of residents across the region indicated it was important to examine and implement changes to the future of health care. Support for this notion was highest in Stratford at 89 per cent.

Williams noted people generally showed a good level of support, 74 per cent, towards the notion of creating centres of specialty at each hospital. Support in Stratford towards each site offering different expertise was a bit lower at 71 per cent.

Eighty-seven per cent of Stratford residents, meanwhile, agreed with the statement that it’s important all four sites remain open, even if it means offering different services at different locations.

“Throughout the document there’s quite a good level of support for specialization at sites,” noted Williams. “The notion of being all things to all people ... people recognize that just isn’t sustainable into the future.”

Williams added support for centres of specialty was notably high amongst recent visitors to one of the alliance’s four sites.

“They’re aware of what’s going on, so they’re quicker to support it,” he said.

Support for maintaining acute care beds at all alliance sites was strong, with 83 per cent overall, and 80 per cent in Stratford, as well as for adding a new medical resonance imaging unit and for introducing new services like child and adolescence mental health care.

Not surprisingly, support towards considering a review of emergency room hours was less enthusiastic at 75 per cent regionally. Likewise, only 35 per cent across the region agreed they’d be prepared to give up their 24-hour emergency room if it meant a high quality and well-staffed emergency room was available at another alliance site.

Williams noted it was not surprising to see people generally support a review of emergency room hours, but oppose any reduced hours at their local hospital.

“People recognize the need for change, but when it affects a specific service they’re used to locally, they are resistant to that change.”

When probed on the most important issue that the alliance should be focused on, the most common response across the region was related to emergency services or emergency care. In

Stratford, however, opinions were divided  between multiple issues, including retention/recruitment of medical professionals, higher quality of care and accessibility/availability of services.

Other survey results showed high satisfaction from residents who visited an alliance hospital in the past year. Eighty-two per cent of respondents in Stratford reported satisfaction with their hospital.

Fewer than half, 44 per cent, of regional residents reported being familiar with the alliance, while 63 per cent of those aware of the alliance report favourable impressions of the organization.

Williams noted the assumption many people have that the alliance’s plan is motivated by funding – the survey shows 41 per cent regionally believe lack of money as the main reason – is simply not true. He said challenges around recruitment and retention of health care professionals and quality standards all necessitate a change. He added in the years to come if provincial funding continues to diminish, changes might then have to be made based on resources, but not at this point.

The next phase in the alliance’s public consultation process is a series of community forums scheduled for March and April. Williams said the alliance will shape each forum based on the information in the survey. He added the final plan put forward by the alliance will be a balance between all competing demands.

“We’ll aim to make what we feel are the best recommendations for health care in this region ... and in the best interests of the people we serve.

“It is going to mean change, we know that, exactly what is yet to be determined.”