Editor:
Re: “Trellis battle lost; time to move on,” Editorial, Feb. 22.
Rather than publishing my response to Vancouver Coastal Health’s Silverstone announcement, John Gleeson made it the subject of his weekly editorial. Given how he variously misrepresents or ignores my arguments, that’s small consolation.
For example, I did not say that under the proposed agreement union gains are paltry. In fact, it’s hard to say how substantial they are, because VCH’s announcement specifies only 80 jobs will be protected – a fraction of the current workforce. It’s unclear what will happen to the remaining workers, but I think it’s a matter of much more significance than Gleeson is willing to acknowledge.
For Gleeson, continued opposition to Trellis is not just useless but harmful. He makes much of the fact that VCH “has promised extensive consultation on the future of Shorncliffe and Totem Lodge.” Does he need reminding that the Health Authority has made the same promise for the past three years? To rein in criticism in the hope that VCH will demonstrate a hitherto unforeseen commitment to community engagement is naive and, to use Gleeson’s phrase, frankly unhelpful.
It’s difficult to see how a proposal that leaves us with a critical bed shortage will create the “inestimable difference” that Gleeson claims. In any case, many of the harms of privatization are easier to measure. The loss of volunteer services, for one, will have a devastating effect on patients and families that Gleeson does readers a disservice to gloss over.
Yes, Mr. Gleeson, concerns about private care are “oft-repeated,” and for good reason. Having shown its willingness to commodify one sector of the public health system, do you suppose the NDP will stop there? With the next round of privatization will you again urge us to stifle our criticisms and “move on?” Based on this editorial, the answer seems sadly obvious.
The piece cited in the editorial is available at pphcare.ca
Ian McLatchie, Media Liaison, Protect Public Health Care – Sunshine Coast
