Island Health asks pregnant women to relocate off Salt Spring Island amid staffing shortage

Expecting families are being asked to relocate off Salt Spring Island to other nearby communities amid a midwife shortage at the B.C. Gulf Island's only hospital.

Island Health says women who will be in their late term, between 37 weeks and 42 weeks, from mid-July to mid-August are being asked to move closer to other communities, such as Victoria, Sidney, Cowichan, or areas on the Lower Mainland.

Anyone who goes into labour on Salt Spring Island during this period will be assessed at Lady Minto Hospital.

If it's medically safe to do so, Island Health will transfer the patient to another hospital. If it's not safe to do so, Island Health says "strategies are in place to support delivery at Lady Minto."

"We acknowledge the inconvenience of this temporary change and appreciate people’s patience as we work to support birth services on Salt Spring Island," said the health authority in a statement Tuesday.

Island Health says eight families are being affected by the temporary service change, and that all of the families have been contacted about the situation.

The health authority notes that midwives are not directly employed by Island Health, similar to doctors and independent practitioners.