Staffing shortage leads to reduced hours at St. Marys Memorial Hospital emergency department

Staffing shortage leads to reduced hours at St Marys Memorial

Operating hours at the St. Marys Memorial Hospital emergency department will be reduced to between 7 am and 6 pm from April 9-13 because of a staffing shortage, the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance said in a press release Friday afternoon.

Thanks to a staffing shortage, St. Marys and area residents will have reduced access to the St. Marys Memorial Hospital emergency department over the next several days, the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance said in a press release Friday afternoon.

Starting Saturday, the emergency department will only accept patients between 7 am and 6 pm daily until April 13.

“In reaching this decision, every safe option available to us has been assessed with temporarily reducing hours of operation the most responsible course of action at this time,” said healthcare alliance president and CEO Andrew Williams in the release.

“Despite these temporary adjustments, we remain fortunate to have a very strong emergency response system across our region. All key partners, including paramedics and adjacent hospitals, are aware of this decision. Our team has been doing everything possible to sustain services during these challenging times and I want to acknowledge these incredible and ongoing efforts.”

Anyone requiring immediate medical attention should call 911 and paramedics will ensure patients are taken to the nearest emergency department.

The closest emergency departments to the St. Marys Memorial Hospital are at the Stratford General Hospital, University Hospital or Victoria Hospital in London, or Alexandra Hospital in Ingersoll.

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