The sad thing is we aren't even close to having an acceptable health system in PG.

If I could offer Northern Health some advice, it would sound like a trip to the barber shop:
"take a little off the top"
N.H. is so ridiculously top heavy, and there are so many resources burned up in bureaucracy.
metalman.

"We will achieve a balanced 2009-2010 budget through administrative savings, overtime management, and program efficiencies"

Two out of three of those sound like corporate babble, (which likely means that they can't actually show how the money will be saved), and the third sounds like fewer front line workers being available to staff the hospital, (which likely means reduced service levels for the public). Hey I just had a thought. Isn't it true that sole reason for a hospital to be in existence is to pay front line workers to serve the public and everything else is secondary to that purpose (i.e. support)?

At least they have their priorities in the right place when it comes to where the savings will come from, LOL.

You know whats sickening is that you got Activity Centre for Empowerment who gets Northern Health grants and money gave their very expensive treadmill they bought a few years ago to a thrift shop. They bought a big TV and a Nintendo WII. What even is more sickening is the fact they head to local churches to ask for food donations. There is all kinds of waste of public money. But know one says anything about because the educated run the show. If it means killing off this program or that program to meet the very fews needs is just abuse of power. To think they threw enough out of that place for bad behaviors but yet they are the ones being paid to deal with people with metal illness with behavior problems. They choose not to help they they can hand you the door and even go so far as to alert the R.C.M.P of the person. And yet go to church which they don't go and ask for food money ect... Say that they are there for those with metal illness yet show them the door. I have seen this myself first hand and many that need these services in town here. Pretty bad when you get them to lie to the public and then make huge money and abuse the health system.

Metalman you are so right the NH is very top heavy, they have more offices than they do hospital beds.

It would be very interesting for the Health Authority to break down how many Admin staff vs. front line workers.

Based on the Health Authority's financial information they say that in 2007/2008 there were over 7,000 employees. They aren't too keen on giving any details about how many out of that 7,000 are Admin. I work in a building where the Health Authority operates, I see more and more people added each year.

Having kids and making the odd trip to the ER, I feel are system is fairly good, but not great. I don't think just adding bodies on the floor will make it better. I believe hospital employees think they are untouchable(due to union/government - nobody gets fired). It's not just hospitals, but likely all governments departments.

I think government unions have become obsolete. Gone are the days where the workplace was a dangerous place. I can still see the need for blue collar jobs because of the safety issue. But in white collar jobs it just creates a culture of protecting lazy employees that need to be let go.

I hope that the Health Authority can maintain/improve the efficiency at which their employees work. But I doubt it!!

hey mwk.. come come walk a shift with some front line workers and see how dangerous working in a hospital can be, yea i guess if your in a an office you have no idea what frontline workers do. its not uncommon to see staff being called in on their holidays as there is no staff to cover shortages and its not just nurses, support staff also feel the pinch doing more with less thats what hospital workers have been doing for the last several years its not uncommon to find a housekeeper doing a 16 hr shift being called in on your day off is common place never mind the super bugs the disease the blood frontline staff also face violence on the job ,
yes there is far more admin staff than frontline staff but its the fronline staff that face the public scorn lazy??? come walk in their foot steps

I just have to say something here. My daughter has chrones disease and she gets very sick. Last winter we spent many hours at the hospital emergency. Most of the time she needed scheduled IV treatments. The key word here is SCHEDULED. On more than one occasion we waited 7 hours to get it. I have sat there with her for hours and seen people come and go. Some lay in cots in the waiting area. They vomit, sweat and all kinds of other things that sick people do. They finally get taken into the area where the doctors are. I have seen on more than one occasion another person put in those very same cots and the bedding has not been changed. That is just one example of horrible things I have witnessed waiting 5 or more hours on each visit. IMO the way they have it set up there is set up to fail. I have never seen one nurse there smile or even resemble anyone who likes their job. You can see they are over worked and under staffed. I believe the problem comes from the top. I had surgery in Vancouver 6 weeks ago and had to go to emergency in Port Coquitlam on a Friday night. It was busier than I have ever seen our hospital and I was processed, seen and treated in less than 2 hours. We have a problem here and it boils down to bad attitude and lack of interest. God forbid that we ever have a catastrophe here and God forbid any of my family get really sick. It scares me to no end.