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Staffing issues close Elkford emergency department - again

It’s the second time in six months the ED has closed due to unexpected limited staffing availability
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The Elkford Emergency Department was closed on Friday, January 18 due to limited staffing availability. File photo

Staffing issues have closed the Elkford emergency department for the second time in six months.

On Friday, January 18, Interior Health advised emergency department services would not be available at the Elkford Health Centre that day due to “unexpected limited staffing availability”.

Residents requiring emergency care were advised call 9-1-1 or call HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1., or to travel to emergency departments in Sparwood or Fernie.

“Interior Health regrets this interruption to our normal emergency department services,” read a release issued Friday.

It’s the second time in six months the health authority has been forced to close the department due to staffing issues, with the last closure occurring on July 10. Prior to that, the last closure was on August 9, 2016.

The BC Nurses’ Union has previously blamed these closures on “poor decision-making on recruitment and retention”.

The emergency department operates Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is fully staffed, according to Interior Health spokesman Karl Hardt.

He said two permanent staff share the weekday emergency department coverage in Elkford, with four casual staff to support them.

“Unfortunately, we were not able to secure coverage last Friday,” said Hardt.

“It can be a challenge at smaller sites when someone is away unexpectedly. We do continue to recruit for additional staff who can support emergency department services as needed.”

Hardt said the Elkford physician left some appointments open for patients with care needs that did not require nursing support.

“This speaks to the dedication our entire team in Elkford has to the local patients we serve,” he said.

Interior Health is aware of one “less urgent case” that presented to the emergency department in Sparwood after seeing the notice at Elkford on January 18.