LifeLabs to maintain some services in Sudbury, layoffs reduced to 20

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After the uproar following the announcement that it was closing its lab in Sudbury, LifeLabs now says it will maintain some services in the city and maintain 20 jobs.

The news comes after the company initially said all 40 local jobs would be lost and all medical tests would shift to facilities in Toronto.

“Routine testing from the Sudbury laboratory will transition to GTA laboratories by May 17,” LifeLabs said in an email to CTV News.

“Following this transition, Sudbury will retain a dedicated laboratory for specialized tests, including INR monitoring, semen analysis and other tests requiring unique handling, maintaining LifeLabs’ commitment to patients and health-care providers in northeastern Ontario.”

The news comes after protests from Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre and local New Democrat MPPs – France Gélinas in Nickel Belt and Jamie West in Sudbury.

“It’s completely unfair,” Lefebvre told CTV News Northern Ontario in January about the closure.

“We should be able to at least get that level of service that they get in the GTA ... I understand it’s a massive province and I get the distance issues, but this is a great population of over 190,000 people. We’re actually serving a lot of people in the northeast, as well.”

“Those 40 workers are worried about where they can continue to have an income,” Gélinas told CTV News.

“Then you have a government who brags about, oh, but, you know, like, you can become a medical laboratory technologist in northern Ontario and never be able to find a job.”

LifeLabs laboratory in Sudbury processes diagnostic samples from communities across northern Ontario, including Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, North Bay and others.

Will allow for investments

In its statement, LifeLabs said services are being centralized to ensure the company can “invest in advanced diagnostic technologies, specialized expertise and modern laboratory practices while ensuring the capacity needed to meet growing demand across the province.”

“A significant portion of testing from northeastern Ontario already flows through this model today,” LifeLabs said.

“Aligning the remaining testing with this approach will ensure patients across the region continue to benefit from consistent quality standards, reliable turnaround times and access to advanced diagnostic technologies.”

When the changes come into effect, the company confirmed that 20 staff in Sudbury will lose their jobs.

“LifeLabs is committed to supporting affected employees with care, respect, and clear communication,” the statement said.

“LifeLabs will also be hiring for roles within the dedicated Sudbury laboratory, with current employees prioritized as candidates, providing opportunities to remain part of LifeLabs in the region.”