SBGHC's Durham Hospital, Image from Google Maps Streetview
South Bruce Grey Health Centre and the Ministry of the Attorney General have filed to have West Grey’s legal application for a judicial review of the closure of the Durham Hospital’s inpatient unit thrown out.
Ministry of the Attorney General Media Spokesperson Keesha Seaton confirmed the motion to strike the application was heard on Nov. 13 but no decision was made. The Ministry refused to comment further as the matter is still before the courts.
Bayshore Broadcasting reached out to the SBGHC for comment, but did not hear back by publication time.
West Grey filed for a judicial review in May of South Bruce Grey Health Centre’s decision to close the inpatient unit at the Durham Hospital and relocate its 10 beds to Kincardine and Walkerton.
The beds were moved in June and services reduced at the Durham Hospital. South Bruce Grey Health Centre has maintained the move was necessary because of a critical nursing staff shortage.
Mayor Kevin Eccles says, “South Bruce Grey (Health Centre), the Ministry of Health and the Attorney General have appealed that it should not even be heard. So now we are in the appeal process.”
He says the municipality is currently waiting on a response from judicial officials to determine if the judicial review should move ahead.
West Grey’s goal is for the judicial officials overseeing the case to agree the SBGHC was outside its purview to the remove the inpatient beds from the Durham Hospital, as well as recommend the organization move the beds back to the hospital.
“What they (SBGHC) are appealing to the courts is to have the case thrown out as it has no grounds and they should not have to defend themselves in front of the judges and that they were correct,” says Eccles.
Eccles is hopeful a decision will be made by this spring.