Delta Hospice Society patients must move after negotiations with Fraser Health fail

Fraser Health says patients at the Irene Thomas Hospice in Delta, B.C., will have to transfer as the health authority prepares to take over from operators who refused to provide medical assistance in dying.

The health authority says it made repeated efforts to work with the Delta Hospice Society's board of directors to work out arrangements to take over the facility and its staff, but a last-ditch effort to negotiate a transition failed.  

It says in a statement the hospice society had asked the health authority last month to begin the transition of clinical operations for the 10-bed hospice so patients would not have to move elsewhere.

Fraser Health says it sent a letter to the hospice society on Jan. 26 outlining proposed arrangements and last Tuesday the society responded indicating its unwillingness to agree to the terms.

"The early termination of our service agreement would allow us to work with the hospice to transition the services in a seamless way," said Victoria Lee, CEO and president of Fraser Health.  

Lee says the health authority can't responsibly take over the 10-bed hospice and the two terminally ill patients without some time to transition. 

'No intention of a smooth transition'

The hospice society is scheduled to vacate the building on Feb. 24. Fraser Health is set to take over operations of the hospice from the society on Feb. 25.

In a written statement, the Delta Hospice Society said it had initially agreed to help Fraser Health transition into the space, but further communication with the health authority led the board to question its intentions. 

"Fraser Health paused all admissions to the Irene Thomas Hospice, resulting in patients needing to be sent out of Delta to die," the statement read.

"Fraser Health spoke brazenly to patients, informing them they will have to move to another place by February 24, 2021. Clearly, Fraser Health had no intention of a smooth transition of patients."

Delta Mayor George Harvie said he was disappointed to hear the transition wasn't able to happen.

"They put the teaser out they were going to co-operate, and at the last minute when it came down to signing the papers, to ensure there was a respectful transfer, they pulled it back. And that's just shameful," Harvie said.

Disagreement over medically assisted death 

Last year, the government announced it was severing the service agreement with the Delta Hospice Society and withdrawing $1.5 million in annual funding over the society's decision to stop offering medically assisted death. 

On Feb. 25, 2021, operation of the facility and the building will be assumed by Fraser Health, but earlier this month the health authority said the hospice society was not engaging in discussions aimed at transitioning patients and staff.

To ensure continuance of care, Fraser Health said it had no choice but to move dying patients out of the hospice and into a long-term care facility, a move that upset families of residents and many in the greater community.

Fraser Health says it's working to ensure all unionized hospice staff who received layoff notices will have the opportunity to work within the health authority if they choose.

The Irene Thomas Hospice has been at the centre of a fight for control ever since a new board of directors came to power in late 2019, banned Medical Assistance in Dying at the 10-bed-hospice and tried to change the society's constitution in order to turn it into an expressly Christian organization.