ER service at Sackville hospital to stop every day at 4 p.m. indefinitely

Sackville Memorial Hospital will soon not be offering emergency care after 4 p.m. on any day of the week, Horizon Health announced Friday.

Starting Nov. 19, the hospital ER will only be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Anyone who needs medical care after 4 p.m. will have to seek treatment at another hospital, a release from Horizon says.

The time changes come on top of the current reduced weekend hours that have been in place since June.

The hospital's emergency room was already closed evenings from Friday through Monday, but the release says a shortage of doctors and nurses is forcing it to extend the evening closure to throughout the week. 

Three times in the news release, Horizon describes the reduced ER hours as temporary, but there is no date for when this arrangement will end.

"We apologize for any inconvenience this temporary change in hours of service may cause," Horizon says. "This temporary change in service was necessary for Horizon to continue offering safe and quality care to our patients and clients." 

Hiring more nurses and health-care workers

Horizon said one registered nurse has been recruited for the Sackville hospital since September, and another four positions, as well as a licensed practical nurse job, still need to be filled.

Normally, nine doctors cover the emergency department, but there are now only six regularly providing this service,  Christa Wheeler-Thorne of Horizon Health said in a statement.

"We're actively working on a recruitment campaign and have been working closely with community partners to help attract health care professionals to the Sackville area," she said.

Wheeler-Thorne said the reduction in hours will help resolve some confusion in the public and Ambulance New Brunswick, who are affected by last-minute and sporadic decisions.

Vitalité asks public to reduce overnight ER visits to some hospitals

Vitalité Health Network is asking the public to limit overnight visits to Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital and Hôtel-Dieu Saint-Joseph de Saint-Quentin, except in cases of actual emergencies. This temporary measure is also the result of a staff shortage, a news release.

The request from the Saint-Quentin hospital is in effect overnight Friday and Saturday starting at 8 p.m.

Similarly, Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital's request is in effect until Nov. 3 between 12 a.m and 8 a.m.

Although the emergency room will remain available for people who need urgent care, the network is asking people whose health conditions are not critical to see their family doctors or a community pharmacist or to call Tele-Care 811.

People who still come to the emergency department for non-urgent reasons may be referred to another hospital or asked to return the next day if their condition permits.

People are encouraged to call Tele-Care 811 if they have any questions about the type of medical attention they need. As always, people who have a medical emergency should call 911.