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Yukon Employees Union Claims Whitehorse Hospital to Outsource Microbiology Testing to Vancouver

Friday, 2 February 2018 08:23

YEU asserts hospitals to phase out local testing by the fall. Hospital Corporation silent on concerns

The Yukon Employees Union says the Whitehorse Hospital is planning to outsource its microbiology lab testing to St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver.

The Union claims St. Paul's pitched a plan to the Yukon Hospital Corporation Thursday. The Union says the local microbiology testing is expected to be phased out this fall.

The microbiology testing in Whitehorse includes throat swabs, urine cultures and wound swaps, with testing completed with 24-48 hours. The union asserts that while the testing in Vancouver will take just as long, yet, shipping samples and results sent back to doctors could take a additional four days.

The union is under the belief that the hospital is looking at slashing spending and re-purposing the microbiology staff to be repurposed to help solve the chronic staffing issues. A request for comment for the Hospital Corporation has yet to be returned.

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