Two senior mental health professionals leaving roles over planned move to Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Two senior mental health professionals are leaving their roles at P.E.I.’s child and youth mental health unit with more looking for employment elsewhere over concerns about its planned relocation from Hillsborough Hospital to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

Dr. Sannie John, a child psychiatrist, and Jo-Ann Birt, a child psychologist, say they have raised concerns about the move for the past 18 months but feel their concerns have not been addressed.

In a joint written statement provided to The Guardian through the Union of Public Sector Employees (UPSE), the two said they do not want to leave their jobs but believe the new space is not suitable for the young patients they care for.

“We both love working on the CYPU. We do not want to leave,” they said. “We have grave concerns regarding the treatment the children and youth of P.E.I. will receive when admitted to the only inpatient mental health unit for children and youth on the island.”

The two said they have repeatedly raised concerns about the size of the new unit, noise from the nearby mental health emergency department, lack of outdoor space and the suitability of the space for treatment.

They said Health P.E.I., mental health and addictions leadership and the minister of health and wellness have all been made aware of their concerns.

“They have not listened and have not considered the expertise we bring to the discussion,” they said. “We have been left with no choice but to leave the work we love and are trained to do.”

Karen Jackson, president of UPSE, said one of the professionals is taking early retirement, while the other is stepping back from providing services at the unit.

Jackson said staff began bringing their concerns to Health P.E.I. in January, but after receiving little feedback, they turned to the union for help.

Since then, she said, the union has met with senior Health P.E.I. officials and raised the issue with the minister and deputy minister of health and wellness.

“Our members feel that they weren’t really heard when they brought these concerns forward,” Jackson said.

She said one of the biggest concerns is noise from the adult mental health emergency department near the proposed new location.

“Many of these kids that are in crisis can be triggered by noise and loud sounds,” she said.

Other concerns include patient privacy, insufficient room for staff, storage and a lack of outdoor space for patients.

Jackson said the concerns were shared by staff across different unions, including members of the P.E.I. Nurses’ Union.

She said the union warned the minister during a meeting that the relocation could lead to staff resigning or retiring early.

Jackson said the possibility of losing experienced staff had been raised with Health P.E.I. months before the two professionals decided to leave their roles.

She said other employees are also considering leaving.

“I’ve met with 100 per cent of the staff there, and many of them are looking for employment elsewhere,” she said.

Jason Rendell, executive director of UPSE, said the union is concerned about the impact the departures could have on patient care.

“I think the service will be detrimentally impacted,” Rendell said.

He also questioned whether the unit could continue operating without those professionals while meeting accreditation requirements.

Rendell said the relocation also represents a major change from the province’s earlier mental health and addictions master plan, which was developed following consultations with health professionals, unions and other stakeholders.

“What’s disappointing is the complete deviation from the plan, the master plan,” he said.

He said some professionals were recruited with the understanding that the original plan would go ahead, and believes the change may have contributed to their decision to leave.

The relocation is expected to take place in December, although Jackson said she could not confirm whether that timeline remains in place.

Jackson said the union has continued raising concerns but is unsure what more it can do.

“We’ve spoken to most of the people in Health P.E.I. that would be involved in this decision,” she said.

The Guardian reached out to the Health Minister Cory Deagle through the department for comment on the staff departures and concerns about the relocation.

The department said staffing is an operational matter and referred questions to Health P.E.I.

Health P.E.I. said it does not comment on individual human resources matters unless they result in a change to public services or involve the departure of a physician.

Health P.E.I. said neither situation is occurring and declined to comment further.

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Vivian Ulinwa is a reporter for The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. She can be reached at vulinwa@postmedia.com and followed on X @vivian_ulinwa.