Local chemotherapy treatments in limbo

Whitehorse General Hospital may have to stop providing chemotherapy treatments for cancer because of a staffing issue, says hospital spokeswoman Val Pike.

Whitehorse General Hospital may have to stop providing chemotherapy treatments for cancer because of a staffing issue, says hospital spokeswoman Val Pike.

Pike said in an interview this morning the coming Friday will be the last day for the chemo nurse.

Unless a permanent or temporary replacement can be found, the service may not be available at Whitehorse General next week.

There are approximately 20 chemo patients currently receiving treatment at the hospital, she said.

The hospital, said Pike, is looking at all its options.

Those include seeking the assistance of B.C. in finding a temporary chemo nurse until a more permanent arrangement can be made.

Pike said there is a shortage of chemotherapy nurses right across Canada, and every jurisdiction is facing the same issue with recruitment.

“It is not budgetary,” she said. “It is situated in the fact there is big shortage of chemo nurses in Canada and we are part of that due to unforeseen circumstances in staffing.”

Pike said another of the options being looked at is asking the existing nurse to stay on longer, though she was temporary to begin with and was only here to cover the summer months.

If an arrangement cannot be found, she acknowledged, chemo patients may have to go south for their treatment.

Pike explained justifying the position of a chemotherapy nurse has been a challenge because of the large fluctuations in the number of patients and the number of treatments required.

Some patients, she explained, require treatment weekly. Others may require it once a month, depending on what the patient’s oncologist has prescribed.

“It’s an ongoing challenge for us to maintain a nurse in that role when the numbers are up and down, and all over the place,” she said.

Pike reiterated, however, the situation facing the hospital today is not a financial one.

Having the treatment available locally is so much better than having to travel because patients can return home after the intravenous is administered, and there are usually family and friends around for support, she said.

Dr. Rao Tadepalli, the president of the Yukon Medical Association, said this morning he accepts that when only one or two health professionals provide a specific service, the service is susceptible to these types of staffing issues.

And the Yukon does have a small population, he pointed out, suggesting it’s difficult to justify having more than one chemo nurse.

Perhaps the hospital could look at training an existing member of staff to fill the position, he suggested, though that would take time.

Chemo nurses, he agreed, are in short supply across Canada.

Tadepalli said if chemotherapy becomes unavailable in Whitehorse, it’s going to have an impact, and perhaps a more serious impact for some.

Depending on the treatment regime prescribed by the oncologist, treatment for some of the 20 patients might be able to be delayed for a couple of weeks without a significant impact, he said.

It’s likely, he added, that some patients will require an uninterrupted treatment schedule.

Tadepalli said patients may be able to travel south and have their chemo treatments administered in B.C.

That, however, may be an issue for others who are too weak to travel or who may need an escort but don’t have one.

There are programs to provide treatment and lodging for the most serious cases who need to travel but arrangements like that take time to make, he said.

“Some patients may not be able to travel,” Tadepalli said. “It’s unfortunate that means they may not get treatment.”

The president of the medical association said doctors were notified last Friday of the situation facing the hospital and the ongoing provision of chemotherapy.

Tadepalli said a week to make alternate arrangements is not a lot of time.

He is not blaming anyone for the situation, as he recognizes the Yukon does not have the numbers to dictate a lot of staff in its chemotherapy unit.

Trying to assign blame won’t get anybody anywhere, he pointed out.

It would be a waste of time – time better spent finding alternate arrangements and a more permanent solution, whether it’s an increase in financial incentive or what have you, he said.