The District of Tumbler Ridge is pushing back against cuts from Northern Health to emergency room services.
The mayor and council said, while the district appreciates the health authority’s acknowledgment about the concerns of residents, that acknowledgement does nothing to improve the health care situation they are facing.
The push back was in response to an update released by Northern Health, regarding emergency care in Tumbler Ridge. Council said the update provides ‘no clear assurances’ that 24/7 emergency room services will resume as soon as possible.
In the update, Northern Health said it is planning for more focus group sessions to be held in the community, in November. The health authority said they are working with local physicians and other health care providers on the Tumbler Ridge team to explore the opportunities for increased services and access, when physician staffing levels improve.
Northern Health points to things like: considering weekend health centre hours for same-day appointments, expanding the hours of emergency room service during the week and increasing other services, like expanded IV infusions and senior’s community outreach.
The district goes on to say that the information provided in the update from Northern Health instead, only outlines reasons to continue the ongoing, after-hours closures.
The district said the issues remain deeply concerning to council and residents, who continue to emphasize the need for local, around-the-clock emergency services to ensure community safety and confidence.
Council points to a reference in the update that ambulance transport to Dawson Creek is a means of ensuring timely access to care.
On September 5th, Northern Health reduced on-call services in Tumbler Ridge, which has created gaps in health care coverage. A day later, the mayor of Tumbler Ridge said a person died in an ambulance in the early morning hours, en-route to Dawson Creek.
The district is also concerned that the longer the emergency remains closed after hours, the greater the risk of losing existing medical and support staff. They say that could further compound an already difficult recruitment and retention challenge.
The MLA for the South Peace Region also says the change affects the work-life balance for health care staff and contributes to burnouts. Larry Neufeld says the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre’s Emergency Department has already lost two doctors this year.
Council said it continues to explore all possible interim measures, including support from the Virtual Emergency Room Rural Assistance Program.
In response, Northern Health acknowledged the difficulties of going back to the previous on-call staff model for overnights and weekends.
-M. Popove