LHSC ramps down non-emergent care to focus on coronavirus
CBC News | Posted: March 16, 2020 9:57 PM | Last Updated: March 16, 2020
Also moves to separate entrances and restrictions on visitors to limit COVID-19 threat
London Health Sciences Centre announced temporary restrictions Monday on elective surgeries and non-urgent critical care so that hospital staff can focus on an expected increase of local COVID-19 cases.
Starting Tuesday, all elective surgical cases will be postponed and only urgent and emergency surgeries will go ahead.
Also starting Tuesday, LHSC will reduce the number of ambulatory care patients its sees, limiting them to emergent cases to help increase social distancing. Ambulatory care refers to same-day medical care performed on an out-patient basis.
LHSC says there will be special consideration for cancer care, renal care and mental health care.
Essential services such as trauma, stroke, cardiac and transplant, will continue to be provided, LHSC says.
"Any patient whose appointment or procedure is impacted by these reductions will receive direct communication from their physician to discuss their ongoing care plan," the hospital said in a statement.
Perimeter screening, separate entrances
As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, LHSC will start perimeter screening at its hospitals, which includes Victoria Hospital and University Hospital.
There will be separate entrances for staff and physicians and patients and visitors. Patients and visitors will be actively screened to help identify people who have signs and symptoms of illness upon entering the hospital.
Signs will be posted at doors. Maps of Victoria Hospital and University Hospital, indicating which entrances are accessible to patients and visitors, have been posted online.
Visitor restrictions
There will also be new restrictions on the number of visitors allowed inside LHSC hospitals.
Adult inpatients and those visiting ambulatory clinics will be permitted one visitor at a time, with no one under 18 permitted to visit.
Paediatric inpatients and those visiting ambulatory clinics will be permitted two visitors at a time, with no one under 18 permitted to visit.
"As this situation continues to evolve, we will provide updates via media statement as appropriate," LHSC said.