Task
Force supports Emergency Doctors in their Plea to
Establish Patient Safety and Quality Care in
Kootenays.
Nelson,
8 October 2008
The
Health Task Force is very concerned that patient
safety and quality care in the West Kootenay are
presently being seriously compromised- six years
after hospital cuts to Kootenay Lake Hospital (KLH).
According to Emergency Department doctors as KLH, for
several months, there have been many days when there
is no ICU coverage at any hospital between Cranbrook
and Kelowna. The Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital
in Trail is the only level 2 hospital with surgery
and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for the 80,000 people
living in the Regional Districts of Central Kootenay
and Kootenay Boundary. However, due to staffing
shortages there are many days when the ICU is not
available to patients in the Kootenay Boundary
region. Patients are essentially transferred to Kelowna
or further for critical medical care.
Compounding the situation, sometimes the
Critical Care Team is unavailable due to the high
demand in the region.
The
doctors and nurses at KBRH, KLH and all other medical
facilities in the region are very uneasy working
under these stressful conditions. The current
situation is problematic for both patients and
families and could certainly result in the needless
death of a loved one. Recently, local doctors have
reported a death of patient en route to Kelowna.
The
Health Task Force is most upset that Interior Health
has not only allowed this situation to occur, but has
not informed the public of these critical
circumstances. Also, the IHA has not attempted to
address doctors’ concerns.
British Columbia Government
“Standards of Accessibility and Guidelines for
Provision of Acute Care Services by Health
Authorities” require:
Glyn
Humphries, Chair of the Health Task Force confirmed,
“The entire region is affected- it is clearly
not a Trail versus Nelson situation. Not only is this
state of affairs unacceptable, but it is in violation
of BC Government policy to put the people of the West
Kootenay and Boundary region at risk without the
legislated timely availability of ICU.”
Moreover,
the Health Task Force states the return of these
services to Kootenay Lake Hospital would benefit the
entire region. Restoring at least 1 surgeon on call
at KLH and restoring 3 high acuity beds at KLH,
monitored by emergency trained GP doctors would
improve services and reduce the overload at KBRH.
In
addition, because of its high value as a diagnostic
tool, it is imperative the acquisition of a CT scan
for KLH be fast tracked.
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