The emergency department at Campbellford Memorial Hospital will be closed for most of Christmas Day due to a nursing staff shortage.
The hospital in the Municipality of Trent Hills, Ont., announced Thursday the ER will be closed from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 25.
“A contingency plan has been implemented to deal with this temporary closure to ensure the impact to patient care is as minimal as possible,” the hospital stated.
EMS and other emergency services have been informed of the temporary closure. During the affected hours, ambulances will transfer patients directly to the closest area hospital that offers emergency medical services.
“While every effort was made to keep the ED open, including reaching out to our regional partners, the ongoing province-wide shortage of health human resources continues to put a strain on health-care operations throughout our region,” the hospital stated.
Patients requiring emergency care during the closure are advised to call 9-1-1 or to attend the closest hospital that offers emergency services:
- Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg at 1000 DePalma Dr.
- Peterborough Regional Health Centre in Peterborough at 1 Hospital Dr.
- Trenton Memorial Hospital, in Trenton at 242 King St.,
- Belleville General Hospital in Belleville at 265 Dundas St. E.
PRHC also stated Wednesday that it continues to experience extremely high patient volumes — both adult and pediatric — as well as higher patient acuity and ongoing staffing shortages. Patients should expect longer than usual wait times in the emergency department.