Mayor concerned about health-care worker strain as south Calgary urgent care centre reduces hours

An urgent care centre in south Calgary is reducing its hours starting Tuesday because of staffing shortages and the mayor is concerned the same could happen to other emergency centres in the city. 

Starting Tuesday, the South Calgary Health Centre is closing its urgent care centre two hours earlier than usual, at 8 p.m. instead of 10 p.m., according to a news release from Alberta Health Services (AHS). The centre will still open at 8 a.m.

At a news conference Tuesday, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the centre's reduced hours will add pressure to other emergency rooms. 

She's also concerned people who rely on the urgent care centre in Sundance will be caught unaware of the change in hours.

"I've heard some comments about, 'Well you know, people would probably double check on their phone before they go.' I've been in emergency situations with my family — you don't have time to check anything. You throw people into a vehicle and you go," Gondek said. 

"You go to the place you know and you go based on the hours you know."

AHS told CBC News that the reduced hours will be in effect for three months, from August to October.

In late July, AHS announced it would close the urgent care department at the Airdrie Community Health Centre overnight on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for eight weeks. Gondek previously said the limited hours at Airdrie's urgent care centre would impact emergency rooms in the entire region. 

'Systemic issues with public health'

Gondek said she was told by Health Minister Jason Copping that he's hopeful the centre's hours will be back to normal in the fall. But she's still concerned about the strain on the health-care system. 

"We've seen systemic issues with public health," Gondek said. 

"We're seeing health-care workers that are burnt out. We are seeing them needing to take leave whether it's just to be with their family or actually take a break because of exhaustion."

Gondek said she's worried the added pressure to urgent care centres in the city will cause more stress on health-care workers and eventually lead to more reduced hours.

Dr. Eddy Lang, head of emergency medicine for the Calgary zone at Alberta Health Services, said staffing shortages in the health-care industry is a problem across the world during this stage of the pandemic.

There are a number of reasons for it, according to Lang, including workers turning to new professions, taking "long overdue vacations," continuing to call in sick with COVID-19 and experiencing burnout.

Lang said AHS is making efforts to hire new nurses and physicians.

Urgent patients will still be seen, AHS says

According to Lang, about 15 to 20 per cent of AHS nurses are not available for various emergency department shifts. This staffing shortage limits the amount of patients that can be taking in from the waiting room.

"Of course, we have a very elaborate triage process with very experienced nurses who are going to speak to you within minutes of your arrival, and if your situation is urgent, you will be seen right away," he said.

Lang said the two-hour reduction in hours at the South Calgary Health Centre will not have a major impact on patient intake. About 20 patients are usually registered in that time period, he said, which is about 15 per cent of all patients seen every day at that centre.  

Those who cannot be seen at the centre will be directed to other resources, Lang said, whether it be a next-day appointment, back to their family physician or to the nearest emergency department.

Lang said there may be more temporary reduced hours coming to urgent care centres, but he believes many health-care employees will be back at work as AHS rehires for some positions and people return from vacation in the fall.