Latest news with #HumberRiverHealth
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Ontario hospital files $100-million lawsuit claiming shoddy construction, like uneven floors, putting patient safety at risk
In a $100-million lawsuit, Humber River Health claims that recent shoddy construction has left the floors uneven or bubbling in nearly every wing of the hospital, putting the health and safety of patients and staff at risk. The Toronto hospital, which claims to be North America's first fully digital facility, is suing the consortium contracted to build and maintain the facility. The statement of claim, obtained by CTV National News, lists Plenary Health Care Partnerships Humber L.P. as the defendant. The Director of the University of Toronto's Infrastructure Institute, Matti Siemiatycki, believes this is an issue 'every Ontarian should be concerned with. This is (only) a 10-year-old hospital.' Construction on the Humber River Health complex began in 2011 through a public-private partnership with Plenary Health Care Partnerships. The Ontario Government signed Plenary and the consortium to build and maintain the hospital for the next three decades. On its website, Plenary Group is described as a leading independent long-term investor, developer and operator of public infrastructure, with a global presence. In Humber River Health's statement of claim against the consortium, it says that uneven floors have made it 'difficult for staff to move equipment, supplies, food, and patients on wheeled transportation devices. Often, wheeled carts have to be placed behind rubber stoppers to prevent the carts from sliding out of position.' The 'potential root causes' listed in the statement claim include 'installation of the concrete floor slabs by Project Co, and PCL and its subcontractors,' and the 'improper levelling of the concrete floor slabs prior to the installation of finish flooring.' The claim also says that there's 'bubbling and tearing of the rubber flooring in nearly every area of the hospital, including the emergency department, birthing unit, and patient recovery rooms.' Siemiatycki shares that 'the key is that the risks that were supposed to be managed and transferred to the private sector have not resided there, they've ended up boomeranging back and the public is bearing the cost for it.' Among their list of projects, CTV News has learned that Plenary has also been contracted by the Province of Ontario to build, design and operate aspects of a new subway line currently under construction in Toronto. Siemiatycki believes the fact that this is going to litigation shows that there are aspects of the public-private partnership framework that aren't working. 'To see now that this is going to litigation instead of the public-private partnership itself (working this out) is really at the core of this issue. Things do happen in a construction project, that's not abnormal. What is abnormal is this resolution process. A public-private partnership is meant to avoid litigation because there's terms in the contracts that should simply kick-in allowing Ontarians to receive the care they've paid for with their tax dollars and deserve,' says Siemiatycki. Plenary declined CTV News's request for comment today, as did Humber River Health and Ontario's Ministry of Health, saying the matter is before the courts.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Ontario hospital files $100-million lawsuit claiming shoddy construction, putting patient safety at risk
In a $100-million lawsuit, Humber River Health claims that recent shoddy construction has left the floors uneven or bubbling in nearly every wing of the hospital, putting the health and safety of patients and staff at risk. The Toronto Hospital, which claims to be North America's first fully digital facility, is suing the consortium contracted to build and maintain the facility. The statement of claim, obtained by CTV National News, lists Plenary Health Care Partnerships Humber L.P. as the defendant. The Director of the University of Toronto's Infrastructure Institute, Mattie Siemiatycki, believes this is an issue 'every Ontarian should be concerned with. This is (only) a 10-year-old hospital.' Construction on the Humber River Health complex began in 2011 through a public-private partnership with Plenary Health Care Partnerships. The Ontario Government signed Plenary and the consortium to build and maintain the hospital for the next three decades. On its website, Plenary Group is described as a leading independent long-term investor, developer and operator of public infrastructure, with a global presence. In Humber River Health's statement of claim against the consortium, it says that uneven floors have made it 'difficult for staff to move equipment, supplies, food, and patients on wheeled transportation devices. Often, wheeled carts have to be placed behind rubber stoppers to prevent the carts from sliding out of position.' The 'potential root causes' listed in the statement claim include 'installation of the concrete floor slabs by Project Co, and PCL and its subcontractors,' and the 'improper levelling of the concrete floor slabs prior to the installation of finish flooring.' The claim also says that there's 'bubbling and tearing of the rubber flooring in nearly every area of the hospital, including the emergency department, birthing unit, and patient recovery rooms.' Siemiatycki shares that 'the key is that the risks that were supposed to be managed and transferred to the private sector have not resided there, they've ended up boomeranging back and the public is bearing the cost for it.' Among their list of projects, CTV News has learned that Plenary has also been contracted by the Province of Ontario to build, design and operate aspects of a new subway line currently under construction in Toronto. Siemiatycki believes the fact that this is going to litigation shows that there are aspects of the public-private partnership framework that aren't working. 'To see now that this is going to litigation instead of the public-private partnership itself (working this out) is really at the core of this issue. Things do happen in a construction project, that's not abnormal. What is abnormal is this resolution process. A public-private partnership is meant to avoid litigation because there's terms in the contracts that should simply kick-in allowing Ontarians to receive the care they've paid for with their tax dollars and deserve,' says Siemiatycki. Plenary declined CTV News's request for comment today, as did Humber River Health and Ontario's Ministry of Health, saying the matter is before the courts.
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Hospital alleges its floors aren't flat, files $100M lawsuit against builder
Humber River Health is suing the consortium contracted to build and maintain its Toronto hospital for $100 million, alleging that negligent design and construction is creating health and safety problems for patients and staff. The lawsuit, filed in early April, alleges that a "sizable portion" of the hospital's floors are not level or flat and that some of the flooring itself is deteriorating. "Floor levelness is a critical operational and safety issue," reads Humber River Health's claim, filed in Ontario Superior Court. "Non-level floors make it difficult for staff to move equipment, supplies, food, and patients on wheeled transportation devices. Often, wheeled carts have to be placed behind rubber stoppers to prevent the carts from sliding out of position." The statement of claim goes on to say that the floor conditions "have led, and will continue to lead, to health and safety issues" for patients and staff. It also says that durability problems with the floors are having a major operational impact as "critical rooms" and areas of the hospital have been unavailable because of maintenance. Touted as North America's first fully digital hospital, construction on Humber River Hospital began in 2011 and it opened in October 2015. The facility was built through a public-private partnership with Plenary Health Care Partnerships. The Ontario government contracted Plenary to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the hospital for 30 years. WATCH | Why this hospital is suing the consortium that built it: Toronto hospital sues builder for $100M claiming uneven floors create safety issues 19 minutes ago Duration 2:15 In a statement, Humber River Health spokesperson Joe Gorman said the hospital is "implementing all necessary measures to ensure the best experience for our patients, staff and community" while it works to resolve these problems. Plenary Health Care Partnerships hasn't filed a statement of defence yet. Due to contractual obligations, the consortium told CBC Toronto it couldn't comment. Not the first lawsuit The floor lawsuit is the latest in a series of claims filed in the last couple of years concerning alleged issues with the design and construction of the northwest Toronto hospital. Since 2023, four other lawsuits totalling at least $10.4 million have been filed by Plenary Health Care Partnerships against the contractor and various subcontractors hired to design and build the hospital. The claims are looking for compensation for property damage from flooding caused by valve and breaker leaks and for design flaws with its domestic water system, which affected hot and cold water in patient rooms within the first year the hospital opened, according to the court filings. The leaks included one above the ceiling of the hospital's cancer care unit. The contractor and subcontractors have filed statements of defence in some of those lawsuits. They deny the allegations and any liability claimed by the consortium. Two of the lawsuits concerning leaks and issues with the water system have spawned third-party claims from the subcontractors being sued claiming another third-party subcontractor should be held liable in their place if the courts determine damages are warranted, which they deny. CBC Toronto contacted Ontario's Ministry of Health for comment on whether it is concerned about these alleged construction and design issues with a public hospital that is just 10 years old and on the impact the problems are having on hospital operations and patient care.
