Staff shortages shut down Western Hospital's overnight ER for summer
CBC
The Western Hospital's Collaborative Emergency Centre will remain closed until the end of the summer due to continued staff shortages.
Health P.E.I. said in a news release Monday the centre will shut down in the evening and stay closed until Sept. 15, with the plan possibly being revaluated in the future.
Some staff will be reassigned to the Alberton hospital's inpatient unit, emergency department and ambulatory care while the centre is closed.
The centre provides emergency services between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. AT. Health P.E.I. said on average, less than one patient visits the centre per night.
Western Hospital has been plagued by staffing issues this year, with the centre regularly shutting down during weekends in recent months.
"Like everywhere else in Canada, our health care system is under extreme strain, and that's not going to end any time soon," Health P.E.I. CEO Dr. Michael Gardam said in the release.
"It's better to make these calls in advance, so we can deploy our resources to provide the best care possible."
This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.
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