CREDIT: TERESA ARMSTRONG FACEBOOK
Patrons of the St Joseph’s Hospital hydrotherapy pool gathered with MP Teresa Armstrong to protest the pool’s closure.

The impending closure of St. Joseph's Hospital's hydrotherapy pool has pool patrons feeling the pressure. The pool, which is set to close June 28 of this year, has been a haven for London residents suffering from various ailments. Time is winding down for people who use the pool, as they will be left without affordable alternatives and they will be forced to stop their treatments if viable alternatives are not offered by the time the pool closes. According to Karen Perkins, St. Joseph's Hospital Vice President of Acute and Ambulatory, Professional Practice and Chief Nurse Executive, they are looking into services in the community.

“In planning for the closure of the pool, we have connected with several community partners and have had very positive responses. Together we have identified programs that may meet the needs of our patrons and patients at various community pools.”

However, clients who use the pool are saying that the alternatives being offered to them are not equivalent to the existing St. Joseph's hydrotherapy pool.

“Most of them are chlorine pools, are up to 10 times the cost, the temperatures are not warm enough to be therapeutic and they have age restrictions, so people must be older than 55,” said a St. Joseph's hydrotherapy pool client, Mary Raycroft.

The large problem associated with redirecting hydrotherapy to the community is the significant cost difference between St. Joseph's and community clinics. Raycroft currently pays $40 a month to use the pool twice a week for 45 minutes. A private clinic in London that was contacted gave estimates between $47 and $67 per treatment, which doesn't include the $77 assessment fee.

The pool's closure came as a shock to many, as it is only 12 years old. Confusion was worsened by the hospital deflecting clients' efforts to keep it running through fundraising efforts. Perkins cited “the changes in the funding formula for Ontario hospitals, and the provincial shift to provide services in community-based programs” as the reasons for the closure.

The provincial shift to provide physiotherapy services from public clinics to private clinics in the community trails on the heels of Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews' announcement that they plan to direct physiotherapy services to other services offered in the community in a bid to reduce spending and expand services to more seniors.

“We're making significant changes to how we deliver physiotherapy. We're going to be able to extend physiotherapy to many more seniors as a result of the changes that we're making, and I know that will be very much appreciated by seniors affected by this decision,” said Matthews.

When pressed about whether the significant cuts that hospitals are having to make is a result of the aftermath of expensive scandals such as ORNGE and the Mississauga gas plant cancellations, the health minister vehemently denied it, saying “absolutely not.”

“It's definitely fair to say that hospitals have to make some difficult decisions as we simply cannot continue to make increases to their budgets,” said Matthews.

St. Joseph's hasn't escaped the penny-pinching either, having been in the spotlight this year regarding how they plan to accommodate $6.4 million in budget cuts, which the pool closure has been linked to.

“While this was identified as one of numerous strategies to address overall budget pressures, it's really about aligning with the shift in hospital and community roles,” said Perkins.

The pool has been a vital resource for people afflicted by issues such as chronic pain and fibromyalgia. Its unique features include a railing in the centre of the pool and three different depth levels. The temperature of the pool, 34°C, is ideal for people who perform slower exercises as they will become chilled in temperatures lower than 28°C. Elizabeth Fox, a physiotherapist working in a private practice with a special interest in aquatic rehabilitation over the last 17 years, said, “The warmer the water, the gentler you can be with your exercise.” The warmer temperature has a therapeutic benefit to it, especially for people who have persistent pain and can't move well in cooler temperatures.

London Fanshawe MPP Teresa Armstrong said, for many pool patrons who have gone to all kinds of rehabilitation and physiotherapy facilities, this is only thing that's working for them. When she met with them, people were visibly upset. “People were in tears because this was their last resort for treatment that works for them … By taking this facility away from them, this is going to be more of burden on the healthcare system because they're not getting the quality of care that works for them in their treatment.”

Armstrong has filed a petition on behalf of concerned residents with over 500 signatures to the House of Commons. According to Anne Stokes, the senior clerk of house documents, the government is required to give a response within 24 working days. However, the House is departing for summer on June 6, meaning that Health Minister Matthews is not required to respond until session starts again in September. By that time, the pool will be closed, as the closure date set by St. Joesph's Hospital is June 28, 2013. The government is not required take action over what to do about the pool, however they must respond to the petition. The petition submitted by Armstrong asks the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to “direct St. Joseph's Health Care Centre to continue its hydrotherapy program in this excellent, appropriate pool,” the reason being that this decision will save huge amounts of health dollars now and in the future.

When asked about when the provincial government would respond to the petition put forth to the Legislative Assembly, the health minister said, “We will respond to that as we do to all petitions; there is a requirement and we will respect that as we always do.”

As for pool patrons, they will continue to wait for affordable community options as the looming date of the pools closure nears.