Lab and X-ray services will be reduced starting this week at the La Ronge Health Centre. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

Health

Reduction of lab and X-ray services in La Ronge due to crisis in staffing

Aug 22, 2023 | 1:37 PM

Outpatient lab and X-ray services at the La Ronge Health Centre are no longer available on Fridays starting Aug. 25.

That’s according to a public notice distributed last week, which stated the reduction in services is due to a crisis in staffing. In an email to larongeNOW, a spokesperson for the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) explained the current service disruption is due to a temporary shortage of three combined laboratory X-ray technologist (CLXT) positions.

“The health centre will resume Friday outpatient laboratory/imaging services once one of the vacant positions has been filled,” the email noted.

“Saskatchewan and many other health jurisdictions in Canada are currently facing a shortage of these positions. CLXT’s are necessary for the delivery of a number of outpatient services, so a temporary shortage will affect delivery of those services.”

The CLXT shortages have been intermittent over the past 18 months, but the current situation does not affect emergency department or inpatient blood work or X-ray requests. Patients requiring urgent lab work or X-rays should go to the emergency department.

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Patients requiring routine blood work or X-rays are asked to come to the La Ronge Health Centre Lab/Imaging Department from Monday to Thursday between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

“The SHA is constantly working on recruitment and retention initiatives to help address health workforce challenges,” the email adds.

“As part of the provincial government’s four-point Health Human Resources (HHR) Action Plan to recruit, train, incentivize and retain over 1,000 more health-care workers in our province over the next few years, the SHA is committed to recruiting health-care workers from within the province, across Canada and internationally to help stabilize the health-care workforce and provide quality care to the residents of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan HHR Action Plan includes a recruitment incentive for hard-to-recruit positions. For CLXTs in La Ronge, the recruitment incentive is up to $40,000.”

The SHA does not anticipate a further reduction in services at the La Ronge Health Centre at this time.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com