Today’s Northumberland has learned more about the closing of the Campbellford Memorial Hospital’s emergency department on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.
Peter Mitchell Executive Assistant to the President/CEO and Board of Directors issued a release on Wednesday, December 22, 2021 stating the emergency department would be closed Friday December 24th beginning at 5:00 p.m. and re-opening at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday December 25th due to difficulties in staffing.
Asking for clarification Mitchell stated to Today’s Northumberland, “the staffing issue is not related to COVID, but it is a result of a health issue and given the limited time frame, despite our best efforts, we were not able to find a replacement.”
The nearest hospital is in Peterborough which is approximately a 30-minute drive from Campbellford.
The cause is three nurses are required for the emergency department and complicating matters is agency nurses haven’t been trained in the hospital’s emergency department.
Neighbouring hospitals were contacted for staff, but were unsuccessful.
It’s estimated that approximately 15 patients will be diverted to other hospitals with the temporary closure.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
