The Consort Hospital and Care Centre emergency department (ED), 250 km southeast of Edmonton, closed down because of a lack of staff, said the Alberta Health Services (AHS) in a Wednesday press release. .The release said the closure will last until early September when staffing levels return to normal levels. .It said the closure is necessary because there are not enough registered nurses available to staff the ED and the long-term care unit at the Consort Hospital. Since the long-term care facility requires onsite RN supports, closing the ED allows staffing resources to be dedicated to it. .AHS said this move ensures there are enough staff in the long-term care facility to avoid having to move residents to other sites. Efforts to find additional nurses have been exhausted. .AHS went on to say Consort Hospital’s ED is expected to reopen on September 9. It added it will continue to monitor the situation and whether it can return to normal levels, which could see it reopen sooner if staffing levels stabilize. .Patients who arrive at the ED will be directed to other hospitals in nearby communities or to walk-in clinics where they can speak with a doctor depending on their needs. Emergency responders will divert patients to facilities in Coronation, Castor, or Provost. .Patients are advised to call 911 for major emergencies. .This announcement comes after AHS had to post 32 notices of no physician coverage or other service disruptions in several rural Alberta healthcare facilities in January and February..READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Alberta’s physician shortages cause dozens of rural ER closures.There were about 70 notices of no physician coverage or other service disruptions in 2021 and seven in 2020..With the exception of several calls for volunteers, notices of a few facilities affected due to construction, and a four-day closure notice of the Rocky Mountain House Heliport, AHS did not notify of any physician shortages in 2019.
