On Wednesday November 5th, I sent a letter to Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness, regarding the dire situation at the Cobequid Community Health Centre. I wrote this letter in response to a call my office received from staff at the facility, who were desperate for recognition to be brought to its lack of resources.
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You can find the text of the letter below:
Dear Minister Thompson,
I write to bring to your attention the dire working and care conditions at the Cobequid Community Health Centre (CCHC) Emergency Room on Tuesday, November 4. The total of 18 patients awaiting inpatient admission and transfer made yesterday the single worst day on record at CCHC. These conditions were brought to my attention through outreach by frontline healthcare staff at the site.
Yesterday, as of noon, 18 of the emergency beds were filled by patients who required inpatient care and were awaiting transfer. Most of these patients had been treated for severe cardiac issues, major breaks such as hip or pelvis, or stroke. Several of these patients had been waiting for inpatient transfer in excess of 70 hours.
The emergency care team expressed grave concern at the impact these wait times were likely to have on health outcomes and morbidity. The standards of care for the conditions noted above outline that inpatient and follow up care best occurs within 24 hours of stabilization in an emergency care setting.
The care team noted that there is no intensive care capacity at CCHC should any of the 18 severely ill patients awaiting transfer require ICU support, and that only a skeleton crew of nurses works while the emergency department is closed to admissions between midnight and 7 am. This team is not adequately staffed to provide intensive care in an environment that lacks the equipment and infrastructure to do so.
Working at well under half capacity for reasons beyond its control, the CCHC Emergency team was so overwhelmed and unable to provide the care they are trained to deliver, they had to advise an individual who suffered a stroke that they would not be seen the same day.
Nova Scotians are struggling to get the healthcare they need; folks facing life and death health issues are being turned away from emergency care they desperately need. Those who receive emergency care are waiting days beyond the timelines prescribed under best practices for inpatient admission and follow up treatment, placing their long-term health outcomes at risk.
These conditions are taking a toll on the staff at this facility. Being helpless to meet known standards of care for severely ill people places immense strain on these professionals and erodes morale and hope. These are strong, resilient, caring people; for staff to reach out to me amid a singular crisis for support demonstrates how deeply they are suffering along with their patients.
I ask you to take immediate action to remedy the extreme pressures the CCHC Emergency department, care team and patients are facing. I request that you
communicate to the people of Sackville-Cobequid when your government will deliver on its promise to expand this facility and enhance the capacity and range of care for our community, and all those who rely on it. They have waited for four years for the work to begin. They deserve to know when and how you will keep your commitment to them.
Sincerely,
Paul Wozney
