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2024 Top 10 stories: Durham Hospital saga continues
Posted: January 2, 2025
(December 28, 2024) By: SouthGrey.ca Staff
The saga of ER closures at the Durham Hospital was the 5th most-read news story of 2023. In 2024, not only did the saga continue, but it was elevated with a very sober announcement.
On April 24, 2024, the South Bruce Grey Hospital Centre (SBGHC) announced that it will be removing all 10 inpatient beds from the Durham Hospital effective June 3, 2024, with those beds being relocated to the Kincardine Hospital and the Walkerton Hospital. Nursing shortages were cited as being the cause for the removal of the inpatient beds. SBGHC made this decision in consultation with Ontario Health and the Ministry of Health.
The story and the fury set it off, became our 4th most-read news story of 2024. The decision mobilized the community and inspired a number of protests during the Summer and Fall. In May, the Municipality of West Grey declared a state of emergency and filed an application for a judicial review. The mayor, in consultation with the West Grey emergency control group claimed that the imminent removal of the in-patient beds from the Durham Hospital and concerns regarding public safety, made it necessary
“While the decision to make this declaration was not made lightly, given the actions of South Bruce Grey Health Centre, it is vital that we take these drastic measures to safeguard the residents of West Grey and neighbouring communities.” said Mayor Kevin Eccles. “These measures were implemented due to the response of our stakeholders concerns and the lack of action from the bodies responsible for the delivery of this essential human right.”
In July, under threat of further reduction of services, the Municipality continued to reach out to government agencies, community partners and health care stakeholders to explore opportunities for a collaborative approach for securing the future of the Durham Hospital as the critical anchor for health care in West Grey and surrounding areas.
Undeterred, the SBGHC carried through with the removal of beds. Lawyers for the Municipality filed a motion requesting the return of the beds back to the Durham Hospital campus. In response, SBGHC has filed an order requesting that the courts dismiss the Municipality’s application for judicial review on the grounds that they are governed by an independent Board of Directors, who have full authority to make internal decisions on all hospital operations within their purview.
In November, members of the Grey Bruce Health Coalition and their supporters, including co-chairs Nora Beatty and Brenda Scott rolled into Durham on November 27 with a 15 foot fibreglass replica of the famous Trojan Horse of Greek mythology.
Nora Beattie explained that the protest took a broader swing at the Ontario government for their “the deception and treachery of the Ontario government leading into the privatization of health care.” The Trojan Horse was meant to symbolize that deception.
West Grey Mayor, Kevin Eccles said that the province has appealed their judicial review filing and that a ruling on whether the case against SBGHC can proceed, is forthcoming. “They know they’re wrong,” said Eccles, indicating that their appeal is an admission of guilt because they don’t even want this to be decided in a court of law. “We need to put more pressure on Ms Shaw and keep our hospital open and functional.”
The saga of the Durham hospital and this crisis of local health care will continue into 2025. Will it further move up the list in our most-read stories of 2026?
