MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
March 31, 2016
(LONDON, Ontario) – London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) today announced its fiscal 2016/2017 plan, which includes the need to realize savings of some $20 million from its $1.2 billion total budget to achieve a balanced financial position. This plan assumes funding in line with last year’s level and marks the fifth consecutive year that funding does not offset inflationary pressures.
Savings initiatives for fiscal 2016/17 include:
- 1.5% across-the-board savings target
- Reduction of supply costs
- Administrative cost reductions
- Expanded outsourcing of cleaning
- Repatriation of off-site staff to end lease payments
- Improved access and flow
LHSC will endeavour to minimize impacts to staff by taking advantage of natural attrition and reassignments to absorb any work reductions to the extent possible. Involuntary layoffs are expected to be minimal, if any.
Based upon the $20 million savings target for fiscal 16/17, there will be a reduction in staff hours worked equivalent to 64.5 full-time positions. The vast majority of these (56.5) are non-clinical positions.
“These are challenging times and we worked hard to ensure that the tough decisions we made will allow us to continue to improve access and flow and care for our patients”, says Murray Glendining, LHSC President and CEO. “We are committed to working with all system partners to further advance the comprehensive work that has been underway at LHSC and regionally for the last two years to improve clinical services, streamline access and flow and enhance the patient experience, as we continue to manage our financial health.”
Murray Glendining, President and CEO, LHSC is available to speak with media on Thursday, March 31 from 3 to 4 pm.
About London Health Science Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been at the forefront of medicine in Canada for 141 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, the Kidney Care Centre, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 65 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca
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For media inquiries contact:
Michele Martin
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500, ext. 77767
michele.martin@lhsc.on.ca
After-hours and weekend assistance:
Call LHSC Switchboard at 519-685-8500 and ask to page the communication consultant on-call.
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