Recent unexpected closures of the emergency department at the Ashcroft Hospital—three in May alone—are due to nursing shortages, not lack of physicians, says David Matear, the Executive Director of Interior Health West.
“It’s definitely not physicians,” he says. “None of the [recent] service interruptions have been due to physicians. That coverage is in place. Local doctors work one weekend [in the ED] per month, and locums cover the others, so the physician coverage has been arranged.”
Matear says that there have been two nursing retirements in Ashcroft recently, with a third nurse on maternity leave as of January 2019. Another nursing resignation has just been received.
“A lot of effort has gone into planning [for shift coverage], but we have had short notice cancellation of shifts,” says Matear. “Agency nurses can’t attend, or a nurse has personal reasons. The May 2019 vacancies have been very short notice, which is particularly challenging, and a problem. We’re recruiting for relief and casual positions, and we’re trying to recruit for the permanent vacancies.
“We recognize that interruptions to the emergency department service are very frustrating to local residents. We’re doing all we can to prevent them, but we can’t always cover shifts if it’s on short notice.”
He adds, however, that it has been challenging to fill the vacant positions. “We’re trying to attract nursing staff to Ashcroft to replace those who have left, but it’s been difficult. We’re looking at a number of avenues.” He says that while planning is going well to cover shifts through the summer, short notice can happen at any time. “However, we’re optimistic that we can sustain services.”
Matear says that the difficulty in filling the vacant positions is due to a combination of factors. “We’re looking specifically for weekend coverage, and that’s not as attractive to staff. And when we try to attract [relief] staff to Ashcroft for a weekend it’s a challenge. Weekend work isn’t necessarily something that everyone wants to do.”
The emergency department needs a 4.87 FTE (full time equivalent) nursing staff in order to operate. It is currently being staffed by permanent nurses, contract nurses, and agency nurses who fill the shifts, and attempts are made to recruit staff from other IH sites.
“We use full time and part time nursing staff, depending on the combination, to cover the weekend emergency department opening,” says Matear. “We try to make things as flexible as possible.”
The emergency department at the Ashcroft Hospital is scheduled to be open from 6 p.m. on Fridays until 8 a.m. on Mondays, a model that has been in place since 2013. “What we look at are what services best meet the needs of the community,” says Matear. “We continue to review that, and we’re trying to sustain the current model and improve the service to the community.”
Matear stresses that every attempt is made, when a closure is necessary, to make sure it happens when it will have the least impact.
“We’re trying to limit the closures to a time period when the emergency department is used less, so that there are fewer disruptions. These are times when the fewest people present to the emergency department, and we’re doing this deliberately to minimize the impact on the community.
“We’re committed to maintaining service in Ashcroft, and we’re doing all we can to minimize interruptions at the emergency department.”
The Wellness and Healthcare Action Coalition has an online petition where local residents can make their voices heard about health care. Visit the Facebook page (Healthcare and Wellness Coalition) to sign a petition asking Interior Health to make staff recruitment a priority to maintain emergency services at the Ashcroft Hospital.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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