March 13, 2019 - 16:12 — Timothy Gillespie
"Four days lying on a gurney in the ER with a spinal injury while waiting for a bed "not the desired experience", says health minister.
The Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) made yet another advisory Wednesday of 26 additional hours of Emergency Room closures at Roseway Hospital, from Thurs., March 14 at 6:00am until Fri., March 15 at 8;00am. Previous closures in March include: March 11-13 (40 hrs); March 9-10 (14 hrs); March 4-5 (38hrs).
778 hours of closures
According to Queens-Shelburne MLA Kim Masland in Question Perid debate in the Legislature Tuesday, Roseway ER closures have exceeded 778 hours in recent months, the equivalent of more than 30 days.
When Masland asked Health and Wellness minister Randy Delorey, "Why the people of Shelburne still can't rely on their local emergency room to be open?," Delorey declined to answer, but suggested instead the importance of the new primary care clinic next door to the ER.
Rather than address what Masland, Shelburne mayor Karen Mattatall and dozens of Shelburne County residents have insisted is a full-blown health crisis, he went on to iterate a litany of other issues, such as new ways to incentivize physicians to cover shifts, the locum incentive program and the emergency shift premium. "We're looking at what we can do with our incentive programs to encourage physicians and other health care providers to cover these shifts," Delorey said.
Four days on gurney in ER
Masland testified that one of her constituents spent ten days in Roseway Hospital and was forced to lie on a gurney in the ER with a spinal injury for four days while waiting for a bed. During those four days, she added, the ER was closed twice.
Masland testified that one of her constituents spent ten days in Roseway Hospital and was forced to lie on a gurney in the ER with a spinal injury for four days while waiting for a bed. During those four days, she added, the ER was closed twice.
Masland asked Delorey if he "believed this is an acceptable experience for someone seeking health care in this province?"
Not the desired experience
Describing it as "not the desired experience", the minister said the government was taking seriuosly the concerns of Nova Scotians, investing in the health care system, investing in infrastructure, investing in incentive programs to ensure we have the staff available to cover shifts in communities across the province. "We continue to listen to front-line health care workers to see what we can do differently to improve the situation.
Describing it as "not the desired experience", the minister said the government was taking seriuosly the concerns of Nova Scotians, investing in the health care system, investing in infrastructure, investing in incentive programs to ensure we have the staff available to cover shifts in communities across the province. "We continue to listen to front-line health care workers to see what we can do differently to improve the situation.
Nova Scotia holding its own?
Delory said that the challenges being faced in communities for filling emergency department shifts "are being felt in communities across the country," and that "Nova Scotia is certainly holding our own in the national context." Less than 24 hours after Delorey's comments, the Health Authority announced 26 hours of ER closures at Roseway, 24 hours of closures at Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital and cancellation of blood collection services in Lockport.
Delory said that the challenges being faced in communities for filling emergency department shifts "are being felt in communities across the country," and that "Nova Scotia is certainly holding our own in the national context." Less than 24 hours after Delorey's comments, the Health Authority announced 26 hours of ER closures at Roseway, 24 hours of closures at Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital and cancellation of blood collection services in Lockport.
In 2017-2018 emergency rooms in the province were closed a total of 30,500 hours, with units in the northern part of the province, with 5,882 hours of closures, and eastern mainland and Cape Breton registered 4,238 closure hours.
North Cumberland Memorial Hospital in Pugwash had the most hours of closure in the north with 2,212, while the Glace Bay Health Facility had the most hours of closure in the eastern zone with 1,835.
Roseway Hospital in Shelburne saw 789 hours of closure. Smaller hospitals in HRM showed closure rates almost one-third those of Roseway.
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