The doctor shortage hit North Bay hard today as Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) issued an emergency department (ED) critical physician staffing notice.
"The Health Centre is experiencing a critical shortage of ED physicians and currently our physician complement is approximately half what would be required for normal operations of the department," warns a hospital news release.
Hospitals across the province are facing similar ED physician shortages.
"Patients seeking non-urgent care can expect to experience excessively long wait times."
When patients first arrive at the ED, the sickest—or most emergent—patients are seen first. Patients who come in with an issue that is not urgent will be triaged accordingly.
"When volumes are as high as they have been, unfortunately, that means wait times for lower acuity care go up," the release explains.
"We know that waiting when feeling unwell can be stressful and frustrating. We ask our community to respect that our team is under incredible stress, and have been experiencing high levels of verbal abuse, which cannot be tolerated. Help us create a safe environment for our team as they provide care."
The administration continues to work to come up with creative solutions to be able to continue to provide care to those who need it.
Here's how you can help. Your time is important, so please consider these community resources for non-urgent needs:
- Access your primary care provider or attend one of the community walk-in clinics
- Visit a virtual walk-in clinic
- Visit a local Pharmacist. Some pharmacists in Ontario can now assess for 13 minor illnesses or conditions (urinary tract infection, cold sore, pink eye, tick bites, skin rashes)
For non-urgent care that requires an ED visit, explore other emergency services
- Seek health-related advice from a registered nurse by calling Health Connect Ontario, 24/7 at 811
- For a mental health concern, call the crisis line at 1-800-352-1141
