The North Bay Regional Health Centre says it is experiencing an "unprecedented surge" in patient volumes resulting in a "bed crisis."
"Due to these extreme bed pressures, NBRHC is making some temporary changes to ensure all of our patients receive safe and high-quality care," says a Tuesday release from the hospital.
"As the pressure on the health care system continues to be unpredictable, it’s important for our community to know that some patients could be waiting in our Emergency Department for days and may need to be cared for in an unconventional space."
The release says In the short-term:
- Patients can expect extremely long waits in the Emergency Department
- Patients requiring admission may need to stay in the Emergency Department to receive care
- Some patients could be transferred to hospitals outside of our district
- Patients arriving by ambulance may also face long delays in being offloaded to the Emergency Department
The Health Centre has also temporarily stopped accepting transfers from other facilities.
"In the long-term, hospital administration is working with partners including Ontario Health, other hospitals in the region, and community partners to move some of our alternate level of care patients to a more appropriate place of care such as a long-term care facility.
"Our exceptional team of physicians and other healthcare providers are working diligently to provide the best care possible to all of our patients.
"Today we need our health system partners’ support."
