MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015
(LONDON, Ontario) – Today, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) announced its budget plans for fiscal 2015/2016. For the fourth consecutive year, funding levels for LHSC will not be sufficient to offset net inflationary pressures meaning that $26 million in savings is required from the organization’s $1.1 billion budget.
Many of the savings strategies identified, including supply cost savings strategies, will not have an impact on staff levels. However, with about 80 per cent of the organization’s costs allocated to people, it is expected that a reduction in staff hours worked equivalent to 97 full-time positions will be necessary to achieve the savings needed.
This does not reflect actual job positions being reduced, but rather an aggregate of reduced hours of work across many areas of the hospital where efficiencies can be realized while preserving quality and safety. Similar to the past three years, it is expected that any workforce impacts will be absorbed through attrition and retirements and involuntary layoffs will be avoided.
Many of the reduced hours of work will come from non-clinical areas and, for those in clinical areas, the majority of reduced time worked will come from a reduction of overtime hours as a result of improved staffing models and reduced occupancy.
At this time, preliminary savings strategies developed are expected to reduce working hours equivalent to 50 full-time positions including five leadership, five nursing and 40 support and service positions. Further savings strategies will be developed throughout the year.
“We are committed to meeting our fiscal challenges in a manner that will put our hospital on a sustainable path. Our top strategic objective is to achieve a 95 per cent average occupancy level at LHSC while maintaining or improving quality and safety,” says Murray Glendining, President and CEO, LHSC. “Achieving this objective will result in a better patient, staff and physician experience and will go a long way towards the savings needed this year and beyond.”
About London Health Science Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been at the forefront of medicine in Canada for 140 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:
Marek Kubow
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500 ext. 75155
After-hours and weekend assistance:
Call LHSC Switchboard at 519-685-8500 and ask to page the communication consultant on-call.
Visit the LHSC Media Room website at www.lhsc.on.ca/media.
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