'It's the worst they've ever seen': Sask. nurses' union says hospitals remain overcapacity

Hospital beds in hallways, supply shortages in the neonatal intensive care unit, and operating rooms being put on hold are some of the concerns nurses are voicing, according to the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN).

“I keep saying it's the worst they've ever seen it because every day keeps getting a bit worse,” SUN president Tracy Zambory said.

The union recently took to “X” sharing nurses’ calls for help. One nurse said Royal University Hospital is beyond repair, that patient’s lives are at risk, and nursing licenses are at stake. Another said they are short of nurses with experience in the NICU.

“There's been so many stories come, but the bottom line here for registered nurses is we don't want to have to do this. What we want to talk about are solutions,” Zambory said.

Last November, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) released a capacity pressure action plan to address overcrowding at Saskatoon hospitals.

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It says progress has been made since implementing the plan, saying it’s hired 310 full-time equivalent positions in Saskatoon and Regina.

“We are seeing some of the benefits of that additional capacity of staff,” said Derek Miller, chief operating officer with the SHA.

The SHA says transition beds for patients waiting to go home or into long-term care have also helped to free up space in emergency departments.

It says over the next year it will work with the Ministry of Health to develop a plan that will expand healthcare services and capacity for Saskatoon hospitals.

“This longer-term planning is really about how do we position ourselves to meet the future needs of the population and really enable us to keep up with population growth, changing demographics and aging population,” Miller said.

Zambory says nurses have been bringing forward solutions of their own over the past two years, but says they feel ignored. She says there's been no progress in addressing capacity issues, and says frontline workers need to be consulted to see change.