Staffing shortages, hospital closures to blame for long wait times at Maritime emergency departments
Longer than usual wait times are being felt at emergency departments across the Maritimes this long weekend.
“It's very busy in there today and unfortunately, we're currently experiencing what we call 'bed block,' where we have a large number of admitted patients and nowhere to send them,” said Dr. Margaret Fraser, a physician at Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, N.S.
Nova Scotia Health says people should expect long wait times in all four health zones because of high demand during the long-weekend.
Fraser says hospital closures and staffing shortages are big factors.
“We're working short-staffed. It's a holiday weekend, and usually we'd have seven physicians on and we've been able to do that recently, but yesterday and today we're working with six physicians only,” said Fraser.
In New Brunswick, emergency department closures are becoming a common concern due to a lack of nurses to cover shifts.
The emergency department of Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton, N.B., is asking the public to limit their visits for the entire weekend - except in cases of an actual emergency.
"We can't have a nurse or physician work 24-hours a day, seven days a week. It's not safe and it's also not safe for the physician or nurse," said Dr. Mark MacMillan, the president of the New Brunswick Medical Society.
"It's been a very trying time over the last two-and-a-half years and people do need some time away."
Back in Nova Scotia, the provincial health authority also says there have been too many cases where staff has faced abusive language and behaviour and that’s adding to recruitment and retention challenges.
“I've had a chair thrown at me myself,” said Fraser.
The Cape Breton Regional Hospital's emergency department is currently the only one open in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality this weekend.
Fraser says, on Saturday alone, some nurses needed a mental break because of the verbal abuse.
“Patients are becoming increasingly frustrated with how the system is working and understandably, but what is not understandable, they are taking it out on the nurses, the doctors and other staff. I've seen a number of nurses in tears the last couple of days and that's not acceptable,” she said.
Emergency departments are open 24-hours a day, seven days a week at regional hospitals and at the QEII in Halifax.
Nova Scotia Health says people should not hesitate to visit an emergency department if they have an emergency.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.