Emergency Departments at Nats’oojeh Hospital and Lakes Distract Hospital both closed due to staffing challenges

There are two closures affecting Emergency Departments in Northern BC tonight, both brought on by staffing challenges.

Northern Health says the Emergency Department at the Nats’oojeh Hospital in Fort St James will be closed until 8:00AM Tomorrow morning, Wednesday, May 27th, with that interruption beginning at 4:00PM today.

The Lakes Distract Hospital in Burns lake will also be closing it’s Emergency Department doors today as of 6:00PM, with Emergency Department services not available in the Burns Lake area until 7:00AM tomorrow morning.

The Mackenzie and District Hospital’s Emergency Department had also been closed today, but is set to reopen as of 7:00PM tonight.

Those in the Fort St James or Burns Lake areas in need or emergency care for a life threatening issue while the service disruptions are underway should still call 9-1-1 for assistance.

For up to date information on the status of Emergency Departments in Northern BC, check out the emergency department status page on Northern Health’s website, which is updated every 10 minutes with the latest information.

The website notably does not include information on planned or upcoming closures, which has so far been shared by the Health Authority primarily via local Northern Health Facebook groups.