UPDATE: ERs Closing Overnight At Six Hospitals

Emergency room hours are being slashed overnight at six New Brunswick hospitals.

The move is part of changes announced Tuesday to help address, among other things, a “severe shortage” of medical professionals in the province.

Starting March 11, the ERs in Sussex, Sackville, Perth-Andover, Sainte-Anne-de-Kent, Caraquet and Grand Falls will close between midnight and 8 a.m., with the last patient being accepted before 10 p.m.

“In critical situations, such as trauma, heart attacks and strokes — ambulances often take patients directly to larger centres where they can access the specialized services they need,” said Karen McGrath, president and CEO of Horizon Health Network.

“These changes will allow physicians and nurse practitioners to see more patients in the daytime, in their community practice.”

Numbers released by the province show the hospitals in question see an average of five patients per night and most are not emergencies.

Each hospital will receive one new nurse practitioner to help provide care to non-urgent cases.

A total of 120 acute-care beds at the six hospitals will be turned into long-term chronic care beds, “recognizing most are already used today by seniors waiting for an alternative level of care in the community or a nursing home.”

Mental health services will be added in the six communities and the regional health authorities will develop a new model of care to reduce wait times.

The regional health authorities also announced they are reviewing several service areas “to better deal with wait times, the aging population and rising demand for mental health services.”

“In order to really improve care, we must make significant changes to the way we are currently doing things. These changes we have announced today prepare us for the challenges we are facing,” said McGrath.

According to the province, about 35 per cent of physicians, 40 per cent of nurses, and 40 per cent of medical laboratory technologists are eligible for retirement over the next five years.

More to come.