Al2 - Wednesday, December 30, 1981 - North Shore News

Hard pressed L

FROM PAGE A1

financial year but funding is
becoming an increasingly
serious problem for the
hospital.

For years now, Lions Gate
has suffered from under-

funding and has operated on -

deficits by later asking the
Ministry of Health to make
‘up the shortfall.

Lions Gate enters 1982
sll paying off a $1.2 million
bill from its 1981 deficit — in
addition to any cuts which

may well be made in its .

budget submitied for the
financial year beginning in
March — since the ministry
decided it would not pick up
more than $2 million of the
total $3.2 million shortfall.

Not surprisingly, staff are
looking for penny-pinching
measures to help out in any
way they can.

Among the’ belt-tightening
measures are tighter controls
over medical and surgical
supplies, a special plea to
physicians to attempt to
reduce the numbers of lab
tests, x-rays and physio
therapy referrals, an in-
crease in cafeteria prices, a
program aimed at reducing
sick-time relief and a reduc-
tion in steam plant operating
costs.

North Vancouver City
Mayor Jack Loucks, chair-
man of the hospital board’s
finance committee, says staff
are making an exceptional
effort to back the board and
administration and help

LGH solve its financial
problems.
“The government is defini-

tely taking a stronger posi-
tion today, placing on
hospitals the burden of
cutting down on expenses,”
he says. “We are all trying to
find ways of running a more
efficient and cost-effective
organization so that we can
achieve our goal.” He adds:
“We don't say it can be done,
but we are hopeful that we

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can make significant savings
without substantially cutting

back on the quality of our

services.”
However, Hospital Ad-
ministrator John Borthwick,
the man who grapples with
the figures which decide how
the hospital functions, is

already looking for choices

in cuts he may have to make
to go further towards
achieving a zero deficit.

“If we really can’t make it
happen, there are ways we
may actually have to shut
down some beds,” he says.

Lions Gate already
operates a policy of closing
beds over the Christmas
season, Easter and summer
vacation periods and
Borthwick says the tem-
porary closures may have to
be extended.

Next most likely target in
any cutbacks is the area of
elective surgery.

Already, the hospital has
one of its longest ever
waiting lists for elective
surgery, with 1,700 names on
it, and Borthwick says it may
well get longer.

Borthwick says: “We are
moving more and more to
daycare surgery and I hope
we can find ways of doing

ings smarter and better.”

me area
service is
guaranteed is the emergency
department.

“We have never ever had
to turn away people for
emergency or anything
urgent at the ‘hospital,” he

where full

says, adding, “and we don’t

expect to.”

As far as staff security is
concerned, Borthwick says:
“] don’t see any layoffs with
the size of this place.”

Currently the hospital is
still afflicted by a shortage of
qualified nurses and hopes it
may actually get more rather
than less in the year ahead.

Overall, though, there is
no guarantee that staff
figures won't

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actually

decline, through attrition.

“We may not replace
certain staff when they
leave,” says Borthwick.

Even so, that’s an area he
intends watching closely in
relation to increasing work
loads.

“There is only so’ much.
pressure you can put on
s

“Eventually, you can give
so much service for so many
dollars — and we'll try to
spend the money as
prudently as we can.”

Describing how he sees
the upcoming year for the
hospital, Borthwick says:
“There aré good times and
bad times and this is going to
be a thin period for a while
and we're going to have to
wade our way through it.”

3H looks at penny pinching

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