Northern Health is advising residents of the Tumbler Ridge area about upcoming changes to after-hours coverage at the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre’s Emergency Department (ED).
Health officials said regular hours are not changing, and the ED will continue to be open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.
During the week, Northern Health said on-call services will only be available for a short period of time before and after regular hours.
In the morning, on-call services will be available from 8 am ad 9 am, and in the afternoon from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Health officials said this is because the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre does not always have on-site staffing, adding that the ED often experiences disruptions overnight due to staffing challenges.
“The shift will allow physician and nursing staff to provide stable and predictable daytime coverage for health centre services,” said Northern Health.
Northern Health reminds Tumbler Ridge residents to call 9-1-1 at any time if they need life-threatening emergency care, so they can be transported to the nearest available facility.