The Saskatchewan Health Authority says it is recruiting for new health care positions in Saskatoon.

The SHA says, along with the Ministry of Health, they are adding 285 permanent and 81 temporary health care staff in Saskatoon both in the community and hospital settings.

Last month, in the wake of the Saskatoon Fire Department indicating St. Paul’s Hospital was in violation of fire code requirements, with hospital beds crowding the hallways, the SHA released their Saskatoon Capacity Pressure Action Plan intended to address capacity issues in Saskatoon and this latest announcement is part of that plan.

The SHA has released an Expression of Interest (EOI) to procure additional community-based long-term care (LTC) capacity in Saskatoon which would help address one of the goals laid out in the plan of ensuring that patients receive the appropriate level of care in the appropriate care setting. It would also expand acute care hospital capacity for acutely ill patients.

John Ash, Vice President, Integrated Urban Health – Saskatoon says system pressures remain in Saskatoon but they are making progress.