Physician pens open letter condemning on-call cuts at Tumbler Ridge ER

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A physician in Tumbler Ridge is criticizing Northern Health for its handling of the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre’s on-call emergency room hours. 

Charles Helm, a former family physician in Tumbler Ridge, came out of retirement after being asked to advise the local council on on-call emergency room hours at the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre being cut by Northern Health in September 2025. 

Since the announcement, Northern Health has stated the cuts are temporary and caused by short staffing, and proposed open houses to consider new services as staffing improves. According to Northern Health, the community has lost the equivalent working hours of two of its four permanent physicians throughout 2025. 

On January 16th, Helm wrote an open letter to Chair Colleen Nyce and President and CEO Ciro Panessa, of Northern Health. The letter was also cc’d to Josie Osborne, the B.C. minister of health; Bob Zimmer, the member of parliament for Prince George, Peace River and Northern Rockies; Larry Neufeld, the MLA for Peace River South; and Darryl Krakowka, the mayor of the District of Tumbler Ridge. 

The letter detailed Helm’s dissatisfaction with Northern Health’s current actions regarding the local ER, and his view that the community’s needs are not being met.

“Although the after-hours and weekend closure was once described as ‘temporary,’ there is no indication in your response[s to the community] that a return to 24/7 ER coverage is being considered, either now or in future,” Helm wrote. 

“Our lived experience is that over the past five years, under Northern Health’s leadership, we have gone from having one of the finest systems of ER care in B.C. to the current desperate reality.”

In a response to Helm’s letter, Northern Health stated its decision to adjust the health centre’s after-hours on-call emergency coverage was informed by input from “multiple clinical and operational personnel.”

“Northern Health established a joint working group to explore long-term, sustainable solutions,” the health authority wrote.

“The intent is to work collaboratively with the community to explore ways to improve services in Tumbler Ridge that will provide a model of care for the future that is sustainable and can be delivered consistently and safely.”

Northern Health also noted the feedback influenced its decision to deploy “additional ambulance resources to the community” via BC Emergency Health Services. 

The health authority maintained the changes to the centre’s hours were temporary, and that it was “exploring a range of potential solutions to improve access and service provision in the community while aggressively recruiting for clinical positions.”

In his letter, Helm criticized Northern Health for its policies not taking Tumbler Ridge’s location, geography and local expertise into account. 

“[Northern Health’s policy] does not acknowledge that as a result of what you have put into place, lives will needlessly be lost, or that many people will be sicker than they need to be for longer than they need to be and may suffer needlessly from chronic conditions for the rest of their lives as a result,” Helm said.

“We all want to work towards the best possible solution, but we are not asking for a return to 24/7 ER care out of a sense of nostalgic desire, we are asking for a return to 24/7 ER care because, until it was removed by Northern Health, it was a system that served the needs of TR residents well.”

To read Helm’s complete open letter, see below.