WINGHAM, ONT. -- The emergency room at the Chesley Hospital will be extending its overnight closure beyond Feb. 2020.
The South Bruce Grey Health Centre (SBGHC) hospital closed its emergency room last September due to a lack of experienced nurses to operate it between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Despite constant efforts to attract experienced nurses to the small hospital, no experienced nurses have been hired. So the overnight emergency room closure will be extended, indefinitely.
“Our goal is to get the Chesley emergency department operating again on a 24/7 basis,” says Michael Barrett, South Bruce Health Health Centre President and CEO.
“A shortage of health care staff is driving this interim measure, and SBGHC is committed to keeping all four of our sites strong and viable.”
Chesley isn’t alone. The Clinton and District Hospital closed its emergency from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. in December, citing a similar shortage of experienced nurses.
A public meeting to discuss the extended overnight ER closure is planned in Chesley later this month.
