The deleterious consequences of privatization and outsourcing for hospital support work: The experiences of contracted-out hospital cleaners and dietary aids in Vancouver, Canada

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) 2011-03, Vol.72 (6), p.907-911
• Main Authors: Zuberi, Daniyal M., Ptashnick, Melita B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; British Columbia; Canada; Canada Health care support work Contracting out Housekeeping Privatization Neoliberal Quality of care; Contracting out; Food Service, Hospital - manpower; Health care; Health care policy; Health Care Services; Health care support work; Hospital Support Workers Study; Hospitals; Housekeeping; Housekeeping, Hospital - manpower; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunodeficiencies; Immunodeficiencies. Immunoglobulinopathies; Immunopathology; Infectious diseases; Interviews; Interviews as Topic; Labour turnover; Legislation; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Multinational corporations; Multinational enterprises; Neoliberal; Neoliberalism; Outsourced Services; Outsourcing; Parliamentary law; Patients; Personnel, Hospital - psychology; Policy Reform; Privatization; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Quality of care; Quality of Health Care; Quality of service; Quality of work; Service industry workers; Subcontracting; Training assistance; Vancouver; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Well Being; Work Environment; Workers; Working conditions
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.12.024

This article is based on the findings of the Hospital Support Workers Study, which includes in-depth interviews with 70 hospital housekeepers and dietary aids in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As a result of provincial government legislation in 2003, all hospital-based support work in the Vancouver region was privatized and contracted out to three multinational corporations. The outsourcing of hospital support services is part of a larger global trend toward neoliberal policy reform in health care. This article presents the perceptions of hospital support workers about the consequences of contracting out on their work conditions, training, turnover rates and other issues that directly affect their quality of work and have important implications for patient health and well-being. The findings suggest serious negative consequences for the health care system as a result of the privatization and contracting out of hospital support services.