Clearwater ER closed overnight until Sept. 3

A B.C. hospital in the Interior is shutting its emergency department (ED) overnight until Sept. 3 due to nursing availability issues.

Interior Health says in a statement that emergency services at the Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater will not be available from 6 p.m. until 7 a.m. the following morning, on Aug. 28 until Sept. 2.

They say patients can instead access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or 100 Mile House District General Hospital.

Kamloops is 125 kilometers away from Clearwater while 100 Mile House is 130 kilometers away.

The health department adds that other inpatient services at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital are not impacted by the change.

The mayor of Clearwater says he is frustrated about the extended overnight closure of his hospital’s emergency room, suggesting it is putting those in the community — and those driving through the area — at risk.

Merlin Blackwell says B.C. Emergency Health Services is also struggling to keep ambulances on the roads.

Related links:

• Merritt ER closed Sunday due to limited staff availability

• B.C. announces stop-gap health care funding of $118 million

Earlier in the month, UBC Hospital announced they were temporarily cutting back its emergency department’s hours, with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) saying the staff is overworked.

Starting Tuesday, the emergency department will close at 8 p.m., instead of the usual 10 p.m. Although VCH says the change is temporary, it has not said how long it will be in effect.

“Increasing patient arrival volumes, especially at the end of the day, has meant that staff and medical staff at UBC Hospital ED are routinely working well beyond their scheduled shifts into the early hours of the morning to deliver care to those who arrive at the hospital in the late evening,” said Dr. Ladan Sadrehashemi, a senior medical director with VCH.

Anyone requiring urgent care after 8 p.m. will have to go to Vancouver General Hospital or St. Paul’s Hospital. Kids can be taken to BC Children’s Hospital.

“Work is underway to identify interim and long-term options for managing patient volumes at UBC Hospital,” reads a statement from VCH.

With files from Denise Wong, The Canadian Press