Health care centre reducing operating hours in Chemainus, B.C.
A Vancouver Island health care centre is reducing its operating hours because of staffing considerations.
Island Health announced Saturday that, effective immediately, the Chemainus Health Care Centre would be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. rather than from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
"This adjustment will ensure physicians and staff can provide access to safe and sustainable care during peak hours," the health authority said in a statement.
Demand during the cut service hours was low, according to Island Health, which said the facility served one patient per day, on average, during its open hours before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
The health authority advised people in need of urgent care before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. to visit the Ladysmith Community Health Care Centre – which is open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. – or the Cowichan District Hospital emergency department, which is open 24 hours a day.
While Island Health did not directly attribute the change in hours to a shortage of staff, it concluded its statement by saying it "continues to recruit to support a sustainable staffing model for the Chemainus Health Care Centre."
The change in hours comes against a backdrop of significant doctor shortages on Vancouver Island and across B.C.
On Thursday, hundreds of doctors and patients rallied at the provincial legislature to demand action from the provincial government to improve access to family doctors.
One in five people in the province do not have a family doctor and those who do typically wait several weeks for the next available appointment.
Urgent and primary care centres around the province are intended to help improve access to primary care for those without family doctors, but Island Health has admitted in the past that staffing the facilities has been a "challenge."
A recent study showed that Victoria had the longest wait times at walk-in clinics in all of Canada, and seven of the top 10 cities for longest wait-times were in B.C.
Premier John Horgan has acknowledged the problems, blaming the situation – in part – on a lack of federal funding and continued migration into B.C. from other provinces.
"The number of British Columbians without access to an in-person family physician is a real problem," the premier said in a statement this week, after meeting with protesting doctors.
"Going forward, the provincial government has committed to working closely with Doctors of B.C. on solutions, including a clear process with firm timelines in order to make tangible progress on this complex problem," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
WATCH LIVE As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Government proposes new policy for federally regulated employees to disconnect from work
In their 2024 budget, the federal government wants to amend the Canada Labour Code, so employers in federally regulated sectors will eliminate work-related communication with employees outside of scheduled hours. If implemented, this would affect roughly 500,000 across the country.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.