Availability of on-call emergency services in the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre will be reduced from their current 24-hour availability as of Sept. 5.
Northern Health said after-hours emergency care will now operate for two periods exclusively on weekdays, morning services will be available from 8 to 9 and evening services will be available from 5 to 7.
“The shift will allow physician and nursing staff to provide stable and predictable daytime coverage for healthcare services, with less potential for weekday interruptions due to having been called out for after-hours coverage needs,” explained Northern Health.
Tumbler Ridge’s healthcare hub’s emergency department operates staffed regular hours on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Northern Health said these times will not be changing – but B.C. Emergency Health Services will ensure there are additional ambulances available for residents who require urgent care outside of the health centre’s operational hours.
After the changes are implemented on Friday, the closest 24/7 emergency rooms for Tumbler Ridge residents will be in the Chetwynd Hospital and Health Centre, which is 96 kilometres from their local clinic. The next closest facility is the Dawson Creek and District Hospital, which is 120 kilometres, or an hour and 20 minute drive, from the community.
Primary care, laboratory, and medical imaging services will also operate at their standard weekday hours.
