30,000 went to Vancouver Coastal Health ERs over the holidays last year. A third of them didn't need to.

Emergency rooms typically see a higher volume of patients during the holiday season. This year, Vancouver Coastal Health hopes to lessen that increase by ensuring residents with non-life-threatening conditions know their other options for accessing the care they need.

The health authority's Winter Care campaign aims to raise awareness about the resources available for those who find themselves in need of health care at Christmas time and throughout the year. 

In 2020, emergency departments in Vancouver Coastal Health received more than 30,000 visits during the holiday season, according to a news release from the health authority.

Of those, more than a third were categorized as "non-urgent or low acuity," VCH said.

Dr. Kendall Ho is a professor at UBC's Faculty of Medicine and an associate staff member for Vancouver General Hospital's emergency room. He said one of the main reasons for the annual surge in ER visits is closures and limited hours at family doctors' offices and walk-in clinics during the holiday season.

Ho said emergency room doctors expect a higher volume of patients in December, but not every patient they end up seeing needs to come to the ER.

He recommended people familiarize themselves with the holiday hours at their family doctor's office or local clinic, as well as the location of the nearest urgent and primary care centre.

There are five UPCCs in the Vancouver Coastal Health's section of Metro Vancouver, which includes Richmond, the City of Vancouver and the North Shore. All of them are open daily throughout the holiday season, including on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. 

Ho also noted that if a patient is unsure whether their issue needs care in an emergency room, they can call 811 for advice.

"In case you can't get hold of a health professional, you can always pick up the phone, 24/7, dial 811, and we'll be able to discuss with you whether your problem needs emergency (care) or not," he said. "With that, we can all use our resources together, well, during the holiday season."

In its news release on the campaign, VCH said the advice for the holiday season is the same as it is year-round: Never delay seeking treatment, as it can worsen your condition.

Where to seek that treatment, however, can depend on the circumstances.

"We're hoping that this campaign will help people to make good decisions, so when they need help, we're here in emergency departments to help them, but they also use their community resources," Ho said.