The Queensway Carleton Hospital is cutting back on operating rooms this summer to reduce costs, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees, a move it says will mean longer wait times for patients.

“It’s a bad time,” said Peter Anis, vice-president of CUPE Local 2875, which represents operating-room staff. “The population is growing and aging and requires more hospital services at a time when we’re decreasing the services.”

The hospital reduced the number of operating rooms last year, also to save money, and now the union fears the reduction will be permanent.

Tom Schonberg, president and CEO of Queensway, said there have been no discussions of permanent closures and he denied reports there have been a handful of permanent layoffs.

“We always have slowdowns in the summer,” he said. “There’s a number of people who do not actually want surgeries, either, during the summertime, so demand for surgeries also falls.”

While Schonberg wouldn’t rule out the possibility of rolling closures next year, he said he doesn’t want it to be standard operating procedure.