MEDIA RELEASE: “AHS has never suggested to us that vacations are the problem,” said UNA President Heather Smith. “It’s offensive to suggest nurses are responsible for these problems by taking desperately needed vacations." una.ca/1255/staff-sho… #abhealth #ableg 
Health Minister Tyler Shandro caused an uproar yesterday when he responded to a question in the Legislature about the closings and diminished access to Emergency Departments by blaming vacations taken by nurses and other front-line health care workers. #ableg #abhealth
Alberta Health Services has indicated clearly that unfilled vacancies for Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses are the cause of bed closings and reduced Emergency Room coverage in rural hospitals. #ableg #abhealth
A June 4 memo from AHS management to physicians and staff regarding the temporary 30-per-cent closing of 10 acute care beds in St. Paul states that the problem is “due to a high number of RN and LPN vacancies at the facility.” Not vacations. #ableg #abhealth
cc @shandro
cc @shandro
AHS has made it clear to UNA in writing on several occasions that it intends to proceed, on the instructions of the government, with the elimination of what UNA estimates will be about 750 Registered Nurses’ and Registered Psychiatric Nurses’ jobs. #ableg #abhealth
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