By Jordan Merkley [1]
BELLEVILLE – Health care decision-makers have received recommendations for delivering a more integrated and sustainable local health care [2] system in the Quinte West area.
After six months of consultation, investigation and analysis, the Brighton/Quinte West health services committee has released a report, which includes seven recommendations.
Among these, the committee strongly recommends that core services at Trenton Memorial Hospital [3] be retained. These services include the 24-hour emergency room, appropriate in-patient beds and relevant diagnostic, ambulatory and surgical services. The committee also says decision-makers should ensure that local patients have seamless access to hospital-based services within the region.
Glenn Rainbird, chair of the Brighton/Quinte West health services committee, says the community has to voice which health care services are most important to it:
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Another recommendation is for health-care decision-makers to make a plan regarding recruitment and retention, particularly aimed towards physicians and nurse practitioners.
But Rainbird told QNet News that the implementation of these recommendations will depend on the resources and budget available to the decision-makers:
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