Two complaints were recently made to Lakes District News from residents in the Lakes District who experienced trouble with the emergency room department at the Lakes District Hospital and Health Centre. Both problems occurred after-hours.
One person complained they had actually been sent away from the Lakes District Hospital and Health Centre by staff who told her she may have had a mild stroke, but requested that she come back the next day when the doctor could be there.
The second individual was met with frustration when she discovered locked doors to the ER, and was asked to check in using his phone through the automated check-in system, before being allowed in. The patient was having heart pain, and feeling dizzy and sick.
Eryn Collins, spokesperson for Northern Health, sent a statement via email to Lakes District News, when questioned about the current ER after-hours procedures.
“In response to your questions around Lakes District Hospital emergency department access and processes, I can share the following: the exterior doors to the emergency department are always open – they are never locked. Inside those doors is the emergency department registration, and waiting area, from which the actual unit is accessed through secure doors controlled by staff. This is for a few reasons, primarily security and privacy for both staff and patients and their families.”
Collins’ statement continues to say, “Patients self-presenting at the emergency department (in other words, not brought in by emergency health services/ambulance), would typically register and then be triaged by a nurse. During daytime hours (0800 – 1200 and 1300-1500), patients would register with a registration clerk; after hours, we have a remote registration system that connects patients via videoconference to registration staff. There are cameras which view the registration area, and the nurse can see the waiting room/registration area via these cameras. At any time, patients can ring at the secure ED doors to speak with nursing staff.”
The remote registration system was introduced at the Lakes District Hospital in April 2017, according to the Northern Health webpage. A press release from that year and month states that it was introduced after the pilot project in May-June 2015 was successful.
The press release also says the remote registration system connects patients with trained Northern Health registration clerks at a central office at University Hospital of Northern British Columbia (UHNBC). But have been reportedly not working at times.
During the remote registration hours, patients are supposed to still be medically assessed by hospital staff when they arrive, then should be made to check in. If a person is unable to check themselves in, a family member can do that for them, according to the press release.
Collins said if a patient was showing signs of an emergency health situation, the registration process could be skipped until a medical assessment was made on the person.
And no patient would be turned away if they required urgent medical care, she said.
“Patients with concerns about their care are encouraged to bring those concerns to local administration, or to the Northern Health Patient Care Quality Office,” said Collins.