Patients pack hospital ER

Hospital warns to expect continued delays, seek help elsewhere

The emergency department at Campbellford Memorial Hospital was swamped by patients on the weekend and remains busier than normal.

On Saturday and Sunday, the hospital posted on its Facebook and Instagram feeds that patients would face longer than usual wait times and should go elsewhere for less urgent care.

In the past, the hospital has had staffing issues in the emergency department that have caused delays but that’s not the case this time, says Peter Mitchell, Executive Assistant/Communications & Community Relations Manager.

“Things have settled down a little bit today, though we are still experiencing significant capacity pressures,” he said. “Staffing is not at all an issue; it is completely patient volumes.  This morning, we were at 134% capacity and at one point on Saturday evening that peaked at 145%.”

Mitchell said the surge in patients means more who need to be admitted, but that can’t happen until a bed is available on the inpatient unit.

“As more space is taken up in the ED by patients waiting for admission, it leaves us less space to see new patients which leads to increased wait times, in particular for those with less urgent conditions,” Mitchell said.

“We are so thankful to our staff who have done a phenomenal job dealing with this surge and we are also grateful to the community for their patience and understanding.”

Online the hospital said it expects the emergency department crowding to continue for several days.

Mitchell said the increase was not due to any specific problem, simply volume of cases.