The Durham Hospital will be losing overnight emergency room service for the foreseeable future, beginning next month.
Starting on March 10, the hospital's ED will close each day at 5 p.m. and reopen the following morning at 7 a.m. Service will still be available seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The South Bruce Grey Health Centre says the closure is due to the ongoing shortage of nurses and made with safety of patients and staff in mind. They had a significant number of unfilled shifts beginning on March 10, prompting what they say will be an indefinite closure.
"We know that short-term service reductions are not sustainable, and we need long-term solutions as we continue to face significant staffing challenges," said Nancy Shaw, SBGHC President and CEO. "As a result of the cycle of temporary service reductions, we are engaging with our government partners on both shorter-term supports and longer-term options. We are committed to engaging with our staff, physicians, communities, and government partners as our work continues."
This is the second SBGHC hospital to lose evening emergency service, as the Chesley Hospital has been operating on reduced hours for over a year.