Doctor shortage means patients in labour to be diverted from B.C. hospital into next month

VANCOUVEr -

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