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Six surgeries cancelled at HSN due to overcrowding

Hospital at 112 per cent capacity as of 3 p.m. Thursday
hsn
Health Sciences North was forced to cancel six elective or non-urgent surgeries on May 9 due a spike in admission that has the hospital at 112 per cent capacity. (File)

Health Sciences North is dealing with serious overcapacity issued in both the emergency department and inpatient units.

As of 3 p.m. on May 9, the hospital was at 112-per-cent capacity, with 98 ALC (alternate level care) patients in the system, compared to 77 at this time last week.

The hospital has 24 patients admitted to the emergency department, with another 44 patients in the waiting room. Health Science's North's emergency department was designed with only 36 conventional spaces.

An additional 37 patients have been admitted to unconventional bed spaces on the hospital's outpatient units.

"We are working with our community partners and doing all we can to address systemic issues of overcapacity," said HSN spokesperson Jason Turnbull in an email to Sudbury.com.

"However, this is not an ideal situation for our patients who often end up receiving care in unconventional locations."

The overcrowding at HSN has forced the hospital to cancel six elective or non-urgent surgeries on May 9, and an additional six surgeries have been cancelled for May 10. Patients who have been impacted by these cancellations will be contacted to have their procedures rescheduled.

"These conditions also put added strain on staff and physicians, who work tirelessly to provide the best care possible to our patients. We greatly appreciate their efforts during these challenging times," said Turnbull.

"While patients who require emergency care should still come to the ED, and have full confidence they will receive the best care possible, it is also important to note there are other options for patients with non-urgent medical needs such as walk-in clinics or Telehealth Ontario which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week."


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