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Vancouver — A B.C. hospital is threatening to fire all 28 of its anesthesiologists if they don’t agree to provide around-the-clock service within a year because some women are being forced to give birth without an epidural.

Dr. Roy Morton, vice-president of medicine at Fraser Health, said patient safety and quality of care concerns spurred the warning letters sent out recently advising anesthesiologists that their privileges to practise at Surrey Memorial Hospital would be revoked if an agreement is not reached by March 1, 2017.

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Morton said there are times when women in labour have to endure far too much pain because they either don’t get an epidural or wait too long for one. He said c-sections, which also require an anesthesiologist, may also be delayed.

“We’ve been trying to reach an agreement with this group for five years. At some point you just have to call it a day. We need a dedicated service and no one has stepped up to the plate to say ‘yes, I will sign on,'” said Morton, who is a retired anesthesiologist.