‘Staffing challenges’ close Fort Nelson General Hospital ER for 14 hours

FORT NELSON, B.C. — The emergency department at Fort Nelson General Hospital will be unavailable due to staffing challenges. 

According to a Facebook post from Northern Health – Fort Nelson, ER services will be interrupted from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

The post said the emergency department status may change abruptly, and the health authority is asking the community to check its Emergency Department Status page for accurate, up-to-date information. 

People in the Fort Nelson area who need life-threatening emergency care, which includes chest pains, difficulty breathing or severe bleeding, are asked to call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility. 

The post said that when services are interrupted, Northern Health’s partners in patient transfer and local health authorities are notified, and signage will be posted at the hospital instructing patients to call 911 for transport. 

Patients with non-urgent care needs can call the Northern Health Virtual Primary and Community Care Clinic at 1-844-645-7811, daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Additionally, patients can get access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner by clicking here. 

The health authority has a First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day program, which enables Indigenous people and their family members living in B.C. with limited or no access to their own doctors to book virtual appointments by calling 1-855-344-3800, seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Northern B.C. residents can also book an appointment to see a pharmacist for 21 minor ailments and prescription contraceptives by clicking here.  

Residents who are not sure whether their condition warrants an emergency room visit, or who need health advice, can call HealthLink BC or visit healthlinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Northern Health said it appreciated the community’s patience, understanding and support.