The Ontario Superior Court won’t be proceeding with a judicial review of the closure of the Durham Hospital’s inpatient unit.
The Municipality of West Grey applied for the review last year after South Bruce Grey Health Centre relocated the hospital’s 10 inpatient beds to other sites.
In June 2024, the hospital organization moved Durham’s inpatient beds to Kincardine and Walkerton due to a nursing staff shortage.
The court recently decided that action by South Bruce Grey Health Centre was a private operational matter, and is not subject to a judicial review.
West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles says, “I think we were surprised, we certainly weren’t shocked.”
Bayshore Broadcasting has reached out to the SBGHC for comment, but did not hear back by publication time.
In a statement, the municipality says it maintains the concerns raised were valid and rooted in the best interests of the residents. While it accepts the court’s decision, it adds the municipality does not concede the validity or importance of the claim.
“West Grey recognizes the challenges faced by the SBGHC, including ongoing staffing shortages and resource constraints. Nonetheless, the municipality firmly believes that solutions to these challenges must be developed collaboratively, with a focus on equitable access to care for all residents, especially those in rural communities like ours. The relocation of inpatient beds has a profound impact on the elderly, vulnerable populations, and families who rely on accessible local healthcare services,” says the municipality’s statement.
Eccles adds the municipality does not plan to appeal the court’s decision.
“We will still be using whatever avenues or whatnot that we can, working with the hospital board to fulfill what they said was always their mandate that beds will return. I think it will come through collaboration with the board, but may be even more so with the province,” says Eccles.
He adds the municipality will also explore how it plays a role in the public healthcare system as well as engage in open dialogue with SBGHC.
“I guess a lot of that work will be more advocating on behalf of the residents here for staff to either be brought in or future development and training of staff and of students that want to be in the medical field,” says Eccles.
