B.C. parents call for changes to 811 health hotline
Some parents are saying British Columbia’s 811 health hotline is unreliable and sends kids to crowded emergency rooms for the mildest symptoms.
Rachel Link has a two-year-old daughter and says she’s visited the emergency room four times for reasons ranging from mild flu symptoms to those attributed to teething.
“We’ve been sent to the E.R. for a wide array of things. And once we’ve gotten to the E.R., we’ve basically been told that we didn’t need to go,” she told CityNews, adding she’s left with her sick child because of long wait times.
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“Basically, all our friends have come to the realization that they just send everyone to the E.R,” Link said.
The Vancouver mother says she has stopped calling 811 as her on-call physician is a more reliable resource.
“We’re lucky to have a family physician in the city. It’s not common. So I just wish that 811 were either better resourced to give clearer feedback, or that maybe they just had a better list,” said Link.
“I think it’s really great that we have a public system, and I want our public system to work effectively and efficiently,” she added. “And I just think that 8-1-1 is an area where we could be using our resources better for everybody.”
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Dr. Pascal Lavoie, a Neonatologist and Pediatrician at BC Children’s Hospital, says he understands why parents use the health hotline.
“I think people at 811 are trying to do their best and they want to be safe and they want to make sure that kids are treated safely. And so I can’t comment too much on that on the advice that they’re giving. But we have to use common sense here,” he said.
“If a child is just unwell and grumpy, bring down the fever, try a good rest and hydration. And if there is a good response, usually kids are happier,” Lavoie explained. “What’s important for parents is that most healthy kids will fight respiratory infection with rest and good hydration without needing to go to hospital or see a doctor.”
CityNews has reached out to the Ministry of Health about the 811 hotline but did not receive a response before publication.
