The IWK Health Centre is laying off 22 more youth care workers in its mental health department. The cuts come just four months after the hospital laid off 22 other staffers in the same department.

The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU) said the members feel betrayed.

“We are very disappointed and we feel, if I can be as blunt as to say, they were less than truthful with us during the first go around with these reductions,” said union spokesperson Neil McNeil during a meeting Thursday. The union found out earlier in the day about the pending cuts.

When the first round of cuts were made in the spring, NcNeil said union members were told the hospital’s staffing level were sufficient.

The hospital said it is cutting youth care workers in favour of hiring psychiatric nurses and not because of budgetary constraints. The plan is to ease waiting lists by moving away from an in-patient treatment centre and instead deferring patients to clinics offering psychological, psychiatric and other treatments.

“My suspicion is it has something to do with money. I don’t think they make decision absence of financial motivations,” said McNeil.

He said there was a huge outpouring from families who had dealt with youth care workers during the first round of cuts and he anticipates the community will not support this second round of cuts.

“The youth care workers provide a very distinct service to the youth,” said McNeil. “They are working 24/7. They work in good times and very difficult, challenging times. We’re concerned that the removal of the youth care worker from this environment is not conducive to what the youth need and what the families need. We remain to be convinced that this is the right course of action.”