Salt Spring doctors warn of staffing crisis
Eleven Salt Spring Island doctors have sent an urgent communique to their local newspaper warning of a staffing crisis in emergency, psychiatric and maternity care at the island’s only hospital.
The letter, published in the Gulf Islands Driftwood, was sent on behalf of the Lady Minto Hospital Medical Staff Association to advise the community of a severe staffing shortage covering emergency room shifts at the hospital. Twenty-five 12-hour emergency room shifts have no physician coverage from now until the end of August.
In the letter, medical staff emphasize that the emergency department remains open 24/7 for medical assessments. But the emergency department is already on diversion which means, at times, there is no doctor at the hospital.
“The situation on Salt Spring Island is unique as there is no opportunity for an ambulance or patients to drive down the highway to the next emergency department or urgent care centre,” the letter says.
The staffing shortage and medical diversion is expected to continue through the summer. This brings added risk because care may be delayed. Transportation off-island can be complex “even when the transport is requested at the highest level,” the letter says.
The emergency physicians feel an ethical obligation to provide care, but they are risking burnout trying to provide 24/7 emergency care and running their own family practices.
“Unfortunately, the emergency department is as busy as ever due to the very high number of unattached patients that have no family doctor and the increasing medical complexity of the aging population of Salt Spring Island,” the letter says.
Midwifery services are also on diversion due to a shortage of maternal-care nurses and funding.
“There is ongoing communication with Island Health to attempt to alleviate this issue,” the letter says.
A lack of any local psychiatrists remains a “huge issue” for those with mental health concerns and puts a greater burden on the emergency department, the physicians warn.
“The Lady Minto Hospital Medical Staff Association is bringing this to your attention to solicit your support. The emergency department physician coverage crisis will continue to impact our community over the summer months. The absence of key specialty staff on Salt Spring Island is negatively impacting patient care and our community. Your support and public knowledge are needed to work through this crisis and come together with solutions.”
On Saturday, Island Health announced that people with non-urgent medical needs may experience longer waits in the emergency deparment at Saanich Peninsula Hospital due to overnight staffing shortages.
ldickson@timescolonist.com
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