The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is experiencing temporary bed pressures because of a surge in demand and a higher than usual number of patients awaiting long-term care placement, says QEH executive director Rob Philpott.
There are currently 14 medically discharged patients awaiting placement. Over the past few days, this has contributed to an increase in the number of patients awaiting a bed in the Emergency Department.
The QEH Emergency Department remains fully operational and the public should continue to seek services there especially in critical, emergency situations. To help ease pressure at the QEH, a decision was made to temporarily divert all ambulances to either Prince County Hospital in Summerside or Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague.
Elective surgeries at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital are proceeding as scheduled.
The QEH is working collaboratively with facilities across the province to transfer patients, where possible and appropriate, to empty acute care beds or to long-term care beds in other facilities.
"In a small province like Prince Edward Island, we're very fortunate that we don't have to deal with long distances between health care facilities and that we have such a strong sense of community collaboration. This allows us to make the best use of our provincial health system resources in meeting Islander's needs, and ensures that we provide the safest, most timely, and highest quality care to our patients," Rob Phillpott said.
“Surges in demand do happen from time-to-time at every health care facility and that's why it's key that we continue to deal with such surges on a collaborative basis as a province-wide health system unit,” Rob Phillpott said.
The public is reminded that over the next few days there may be longer than normal delays at the QEH emergency department and that patients requiring admission may be admitted to one of the other hospitals in the province where acute care beds are available. This will ensure the continued provision of safe, timely, quality care.
Rob Philpott said the physicians and staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and in all facilities in the health system are doing everything they can to help alleviate the situation as quickly as possible. "We regret any inconvenience this current situation causes our patients and the public, but I want to assure everyone that safe, high quality care to patients and their families remains our top priority."