Sydney nursing home shortage leads to long emergency waits
Dr. Chris Milburn says hospitals acrossNova Scotia have the same problem
An emergency room doctor in Sydney says a lack of beds in nursing homes continues to add to long waits in the emergency room.
Dr. Chris Milburn, who has spent many years working in the ER at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, says hospitals across the province have the same problem.
"It's this domino effect. The nursing home affects the hospital, the hospital affects us," he says.
Since last year, the wait at the Regional has jumped 20 per cent on weekdays and 30 per cent on weekends.
Milburn says the staff might be ready to treat you, but many of their beds are full of patients waiting to be admitted to a ward.
"Well, in some cases it could be days. We've had patients waiting in the ER for weeks in some cases. It's not great for patients," he says.
The beds they're waiting for are filled with elderly patients who need too much care to send home but can't get into a nursing home.
Martha MacLean, director of emergency care at the Regional, says hospitals across the province have patients already admitted but tying up ER beds.
"They all are sharing the same kind of challenges, starting their day with as many as 19 admits in, smaller even, emergency departments than we have. So then there is no where to see patients," she says.
MacLean says doctor shortages and ER closures at nearby hospitals add to the wait problem.
Her department has had success finding more care for many of their patients so they can go home — that will help but she expects the long waits in the ER will continue.