Doctor shortage means patients in labour to be diverted from B.C. hospital into next month
A shortage of pediatricians means pregnant patients will still be diverted from a Metro Vancouver hospital into August.
The Fraser Health Authority said those who planned to give birth at Peace Arch Hospital will instead be sent elsewhere between July 30 and Aug. 9.
This is due to a shortage of pediatricians at the site, and is not the first of these notifications. Citing a "gap" in staffing, patients who had pre-existing plans to deliver at the Surrey hospital were also diverted for an 11-day stretch earlier in July.
The health authority said in a statement Tuesday that a new contract is in the works, which should result in a larger staff of pediatricians in Surrey. Additionally, a plan is in place to provide pediatric care from Aug. 9 to the end of the year, Fraser Health said.
But until then, a "relatively small number of expecting individuals" will be sent elsewhere to give birth.
According to the health authority, its priority is ensuring babies and their parents have access to urgent care when they need it, and the temporary diversion is to help make this possible.
Other health-care services at the hospital are unaffected by this diversion.
Earlier in July, when the first diversion was announced, a midwife told CTV News it's not uncommon in B.C. for a hospital to be unable to accommodate a mother in labour.
"It seems to be a lack of forward thinking and planning for capacity," said one midwife, who works in the Fraser Health region and asked to remain anonymous. She said mothers are diverted almost daily at Surrey Memorial Hospital, for example.
A doctor who works as a pediatrician in the health region said one of the factors in these shortages is that it can be difficult to recruit staff for smaller hospitals, like Peace Arch.
Dr. Michael Smith said the hospital sees about 800 births a year and the maternity unit is small, making it hard to attract doctors who generally like to be busy, and care for babies and older children in addition to the newborns seen at Peace Arch.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Mary Cranston
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.