Starting in August, the Northern Health Authority says staffing shortages will force disruptions to the obstetrics department at University Hospital of Northern B.C. (UHNBC) in Prince George.
B.C. Conservative politicians are warning that UHNBC is a major hub for high-risk pregnancies in the north, calling the disruptions a “total system failure.”
In a statement to 1130 NewsRadio, the health authority said, “Currently gaps in service are expected to occur throughout the summer and may continue into the fall. However, Northern Health is actively working to find short- and longer-term solutions to mitigate these impacts to services.”
It says the UHNBC Labour and Delivery department will remain open at all times to assess, triage, and care for patients.
“If a patient presents at the hospital during a service reduction, they will be assessed by the nurses, doctors and midwives in Labour and Delivery at UHNBC, who will work to establish the safest path and place for care.”
But Northern Health says some patients may need to transfer to other hospitals for a safe birth experience.
Acting as the critic for rural health, MLA Brennan Day says travelling large distances for care causes big concerns for families, adding most have to spend lots of money on their own accommodations.
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“The cost now for British Columbians to access care in British Columbia is over $3,000, when they have any sort of complication if they can’t get service close to where they live,” Day told 1130 NewsRadio.
A statement by the Conservative Party Tuesday notes the shortest drive to St. John Hospital in Vanderhoof would take over an hour.
“There’s a national standard of care for obstetrics. It means timely, women-centered, safe care that respects diverse needs. No mother in Northern Health would choose this chaos. BC needs to do better,” said Day in the statement.
He claims 50 per cent of nursing positions in the health authority region are vacant and says the provincial government needs to work harder on recruiting.
“I just hope that they take Prince George seriously, as it’s a major centre and they’re required to be fully staffed to support all the primary care facilities in that region that are also struggling under the weight.”
