On September 4, Northern Health posted on their Tumbler Ridge Facebook page that there were changes coming to the emergency department.
Starting the very next day, on-call services at the emergency department would only be available starting at 8 am on weekday mornings, and running until 9. During the day, the clinic and emergency department would be open until 5 pm.
After hours, on-call services would then continue for another two hours, until 7 pm, leaving the clinic closed overnight and on weekends.
“The Tumbler Ridge Health Centre’s emergency department does not have 24/7 on-site staffing, and frequently experiences disruptions to overnight on-call coverage due to staffing challenges,” wrote Northern Health in their post. “The shift will allow physician and nursing staff to provide stable and predictable daytime coverage for health centre services, with less potential for weekday interruptions due to having been called out for after-hours coverage needs.”
To cover the shortfall in coverage, BC Emergency Health Services has implemented additional ambulance coverage in Tumbler Ridge, adding a second car.
“At all times, we advise Tumbler Ridge residents who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e. chest pains, difficulty breathing, or severe bleeding) to always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility,” advises Northern Health.
The issue, says Northern Health, is lack of physicians.
The Tumbler Ridge Clinic is considered fully staffed with the equivalent of four full time positions.
But, with two doctors having left the community, staffing levels are effectively cut in half.
This makes it difficult, says Northern Health, to operate the ER, as staff is mandated to have eight hours off after an emergency shift, which would cut into their clinic hours.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
