N.S. union claims respiratory services in crisis, as agencies say recruiting underway

The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees issued a release saying the dropping numbers of the therapists at Nova Scotia Health and the IWK Health Centre is a 'crisis.'

A Nova Scotia union says a shortage of respiratory therapists is jeopardizing patient care, but health agencies say they’re already responding to the issue with recruitment efforts.

The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees issued a release Thursday saying the dropping numbers of the therapists at Nova Scotia Health and the IWK Health Centre is a ‘crisis.’

A spokesperson for Nova Scotia Health said there are currently 83 respiratory therapists, some of them part time, who fill 63 full-time positions in the health agency’s central zone. There are 24 vacancies in the central zone.

IWK Health said it employs 23 respiratory therapists and has five vacant positions in Halifax.

Both health authorities acknowledged staffing shortages among respiratory therapists in the province, but noted this is a nationwide trend.

The union said in a release that its members believe the shortage in staffing is harming care and added that Life Flight services were suspended for more than 50 hours between January and March due to a lack of available respiratory therapists.

The Life Flight service transports critical neonatal and obstetric patients to the IWK Health Centre from across all three Maritime provinces.

The IWK said in an email Thursday there are “occasionally brief interruptions” in the Life Flight and other transport services due to sick calls.Hugh Gillis, a vice-president of the union, says the decline in staff comes from current respiratory therapists looking for better opportunities in neighbouring provinces.