The emergency department at the Chesley Hosptial will be closed today, due to insufficient staffing.
South Bruce Grey Health Centre issued a notice saying the department will re-open at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.
The Chesley Hospital’s emergency department has dealt with service reductions and temporary closures for several years due to a shortage of nurses.
According to SBGHC, the closest emergency departments to the Chesley site are:
- Hanover (19km)
- Walkerton (25km)
- Durham (36km)
- Southampton (42km)
- Markdale (44km)
- Owen Sound (46km)
- Kincardine (60km)
- Mount Forest (60km)
- Palmerston (60km)
Meanwhile, a new report from the Canadian Medical Association Journal says the country’s emergency departments face a stark future, unless all levels of government act to implement system wide changes.
The report says this summer will likely be precarious and exhausting for emergency department workers, who are facing staff shortages, long line-ups of patients, and burnout.
One of the main contributors is the lack of access to a family doctor for millions of Canadians, who end up at hospital emergency departments because there is no where else to go.