Saanich Peninsula Hospital’s emergency department will close overnight starting Friday and continuing until Sept. 4, due to staff shortages, says Island Health.
The department will continue to be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Island Health said the overnight closures will ensure there is enough staff to keep the department open during the day and early evening, when it is at its busiest.
“We acknowledge this is not an ideal situation for the community and we sincerely apologize for this temporary service reduction,” said Marko Peljhan, Island Health’s vice-president of clinical services for Central/South Island.
“We are thankful and appreciative to the emergency department physicians, and all care providers on the Saanich Peninsula and across the Island Health region for their tireless commitment to providing the best care possible to patients.”
An average of about 11 people attend the Saanich Peninsula Hospital emergency department during the 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. period, and another two arrive by ambulance, the health authority said.
Ambulances will be diverted to Royal Jubilee Hospital or Victoria General Hospital while the overnight closure is in place.
Island Health advised anyone with a medical emergency to call 911 or to get to either Royal Jubilee or Victoria General if possible. Both Island Health and B.C. Emergency Health Services have protocols in place to ensure that patients are taken to the appropriate facility.
Those unsure if they should go to a hospital emergency department can seek confidential health information and advice 24/7 from a registered nurse by calling HealthLink BC at 811, Island Health said.
All other inpatient services at Saanich Peninsula Hospital will be unaffected by the overnight closures, the health authority said.
Island Health said it is continuing efforts to recruit and support physicians and other health-care workers.
In May, ER physicians warned overnight closures at the hospital were possible, as Island Health called on physicians to fill open shifts on an “urgent basis.”
Saanich Peninsula has lost physicians recently through retirement and personal leaves due to burnout, say physicians.
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