Facing 'capacity challenges,' LHSC looks to transfer regional patients back
CBC
With the Omicron-fuelled wave of COVID-19 putting a strain on staff and bed space, London's largest hospital operator is starting to transfer some regional patients back to their home hospitals.
Dr. Adam Dukelow, the head of emergency medicine at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) told CBC radio's Afternoon Drive show on Thursday the moves are necessary to free up much-needed hospital beds.
"We continue to have capacity challenges," said Dukelow in an interview with host Chris dela Torre. "The number of beds that we have that are staffed are too few to look after the number of patients that we need to look after."
LHSC is currently caring for 166 patients with COVID-19, with 23 in critical or intensive care.
Dukelow said he's working with regional hospitals to "repatriate" patients closer to home. He said some London patients may also be transferred to hospitals outside the city, including Stratford, Woodstock, Strathroy, Tillsonburg and Hanover. He said St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital has almost no capacity to take new patients.
Dukelow said the space crunch is similar to what happened during the third wave of COVID-19 infections.
"Everybody is stretched right now," he said.
Dukelow said the need to transfer patients brings on some difficult conversations with families but said most understand this is a unique and difficult situation.
"We talk about it being a provincial health-care system and we need to ensure that the patient loads are levelled to be able to access the specialized care that's only offered in London," he said. "Most families are quite understanding and want to work with the system."
Dukelow said it appears that London has now passed the peak of this current COVID-19 wave, however he also said it's typical that hospital numbers won't reflect that decline right away.
"We're not rising in hospitalizations right now and I hope that will continue and we'll start to see a fall," he said. "Hopefully once we hit the peak, we'll fall as quickly as we went up."
Dukelow said the province's move to loosen restrictions on gatherings later this month and this week's return to in-person learning in schools could add to the current number of cases.
He said hospital staff have faced multiple pressures with this current wave of new infections. In addition to crowded ERs and ICUs, more than 500 LHSC staff contracted COVID-19 and many more have had to stay home after reporting a close contact with an infected person.
"Stress levels are high but the team comes together and they do what's needed for the community," said Dukelow.
The Neighbour to Neighbour Centre’s trans and non-binary grocery program, which offers free food and household products to community members once a month, began with a simple question: how do we get free menstrual products to trans people without being awkward?
Bill Van Vugt is living a life that's unlike most other people his age, and one which has seen him turn a longtime hobby into championship gold.
The provincial government is taking steps toward improving Alberta's lucrative sand and gravel industry.
As medical labs across Ontario remain understaffed, one medical association is calling on the province to expand labs’ capacity for student placements by funding positions to train them.
The year wrapping up means it's getting closer to tax season, and the federal Community Volunteer Income Tax Program will once again be offering free filing services for Islanders with modest incomes.
It's not so easy to remove a politician from office between elections in Canada.
Natasha Martin-Mitchell says creating art gives her a sense of calmness that acts as a medicine during stressful times.
Gabriel Vilardi scored twice and star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves in his first game back from injury to power the Jets to a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday that snapped Winnipeg's three-game losing skid.
Alberta’s auditor general Doug Wylie says his office's budget will be $1.5 million short next fiscal year.
British Columbia has filed a civil claim against e-cigarette giant Juul Labs, alleging the company developed highly addictive nicotine products and fuelled youth nicotine addiction with “deceptive marketing practices.”
There's been positive reaction in Ottawa to news that the nation's capital could be home to Canada’s first high-speed rail line by the end of the decade.
The Alberta government has confirmed it will follow through with a longtime pledge to shutter Calgary’s only supervised drug consumption site.
The town of Collingwood, Ont., is under a boil water advisory after a major water main break Friday.