Health Sciences Centre in double overcapacity for nearly 3 months, Eastern Health reveals

The province's largest hospital is experiencing chronic overcapacity issues, a statement from Eastern Health revealed on Friday.

For nearly three months — from June 20 up until Thursday — the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's was continuously in double overcapacity, according to a statement from Eastern Health. 

Registered Nurses' Union President Yvette Coffey says when single overcapacity is called, each inpatient unit at the hospital has to take one extra patient from the emergency room, even if not enough beds or staff are available. Coffey says it's a situation that often leads to patients staying on stretchers in hospital hallways.

"With double overcapacity, which seems to be the norm these days, each unit has taken two patients, [regardless] of whether or not they have nursing personnel to care for those patients or whether or not they have bed spaces," said Coffey.

Between March and June of this year, single overcapacity was in place at the Health Sciences Centre 25 times, and double overcapacity was called 16 times, Eastern Health said. Before March, overcapacity happened at the hospital an average of four times per week.

In its statement to CBC News, Eastern Health also revealed that from March onwards, St. Clare's Mercy Hospital in St. John's has been in single overcapacity 72 times and in double overcapacity 27 times, compared to an average of three times a month before March.

The health authority put out a plea for help earlier this week because it only had half the nursing staff needed to work at the Health Sciences Centre emergency room this weekend.

In an internal memo sent to all staff on Thursday, which was obtained by CBC News, Eastern Health said it had an "immediate need" for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and personal-care attendants to work additional shifts or overtime at the department from Sept. 16 to 18.

Debbie Walsh, a vice-president and chief nursing officer at Eastern Health, called the memo a "voluntary call" and said 14 registered nurses are needed to work the day shift at the Health Sciences emergency room, while 12 are needed for the night shift.

"We started with eight, we are now up to almost the 14 — that's for the day shift. And for the night shift, we were down to six staff...and the numbers are very similar for Sunday," Walsh said on Friday afternoon.

"Our staffing complement will be stabilized for this weekend," she said.

The staffing crunch at the emergency department follows an Eastern Health statement from last Saturday, where the health authority said it was facing "unprecedented pressures resulting in long wait times for patients." It also asked patients who were not experiencing medical emergencies to stay away from metro emergency rooms.

Walsh says people should try alternatives such as 811, walk-in clinics or their family doctor before visiting the emergency room.

Meanwhile, Coffey says she doesn't think the health-care system crisis can get any worse. She says out of 54 nursing positions at the Health Sciences Centre emergency department, 19 are vacant.