By Cheryl Jahn

Northern Health transferring patients

Dec 3, 2020 | 4:10 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The ongoing COVID response is putting a strain on resources in Northern Health, a region that was not seeing the case numbers that other regions were seeing. It prompted Northern Health to speak publicly on capacity and the need to transfer patients out of the region.

In a written statement, Norther Health writes: “We can confirm patients have been transferred from Northern Health to other health regions of BC authorities for care during the pandemic. Provincial transfer protocols are in place to support patients, and those protocols include strict COVID-19 health and safety measures. The provincial and regional plans are in place to deliver care as we see increases in numbers of people in hospital for COVID-19, and to inform how we move people around the region and province – if that’s required.”

“We still do have the capacity and critical care capacity in our region and in our hospitals,” explains Eryn Collins with Northern Health. “But there are processes and strategies in place for moving patients around as we see a need. And it can depend on everything from the actual level of care that patient requires, future planning for capacity in terms of physical beds but also staffing resources.”

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Northern Health has a total of 64 critical care unit beds and three COVID-designated hospitals. University Hospital of Northern BC has 23 base beds and 16 surge beds, Fort St. John has four base beds and Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace has five base beds and four surge beds. Other acute care facilities in the region have nine base beds and three surge beds.

“Base beds are essentially the capacity that our hospitals have and have in use for the most part. Surge capacity is the ability to scale up additional care space,” explains Collins.