Starting next month, the emergency department (ED) at the Durham Hospital will only be open during the day.
South Bruce Grey Health Centre (SBGHC) officials say chronic nursing shortages have led to the overnight ED closure, which will begin on March 10, 2024.
For the past two to three years, the Durham Hospital, located in southern Grey County, has had intermittent ED closures due to a lack of staff.
SBGHC CEO Nancy Shaw said they chose a more consistent overnight closure to give the community consistency and not wonder when the ER was open or not.
Durham’s ED will only be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The nearby Chesley Hospital ED is also closed in the overnight hours from Monday to Friday, as well as being closed on weekends.
Shaw said there is no timetable to restore the Durham ED to 24/7 care, but that is the ultimate goal.
“Our Board and Senior Leadership Team remain focused on stabilizing all of our sites for the future and providing a high-quality and safe system of care our communities can have confidence in. As a result of the cycle of temporary service reductions, we are engaging with our government partners on both shorter-term supports and longer-term options. We are committed to engaging with our staff, physicians, communities, and government partners as our work continues,” said Shaw.
