The emergency department at Saanich Peninsula Hospital will be closed overnight starting at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday due to staffing shortages, says Island Health.
The department will remain open during the day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., the health authority said Friday.
All other services at the hospital will continue as normal.
On a typical night, an average of 8.5 people go to the emergency department at Saanich Peninsula Hospital.
An emergency room physician at the hospital recently warned that overnight closings might be required because of insufficient staffing, noting six new full-time physicians are needed.
Since last fall, he said, the hospital has seen a dwindling staff of physicians working more shifts, out-of-province emergency physicians flying in for short periods, or non-emergency-certified family physicians filling in.
Two of the hospital’s emergency physicians recently left for early retirement and two are off for personal health reasons.
Anyone experiencing a medical emergency is asked to call 911, or go to Royal Jubilee Hospital or Victoria General Hospital.
Those unsure whether to visit the emergency department can call a registered nurse for advice 24/7 at 811.
