By Adam Berls

healthcare

Maternity department services at UHNBC were reduced for a whole day in May

Jun 19, 2025 | 10:55 AM

PRINCE GEORGE — Northern Health says that maternity department services were reduced for a whole day in May at the University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC) due to staffing shortages.

In a statement to CKPG News, Northern Health says that maternity department services at UHNBC were reduced on May 29, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., due to a shortage of on-call obstetrical and gynecological specialist coverage.

Family practice physicians, midwives and maternity nurse staffing were available to assess, triage and manage presenting patients. In addition, a surgeon was available to support emergency Caesarean births. Maternity units in Quesnel and Vanderhoof were prepared to accept patients as needed to support UHNBC.

In addition, BC Emergency Health Services was notified and plans were in place to provide emergency transport to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or BC Women’s Hospital for high-risk patients.

Northern Health says they are working on solutions to ensure a long-term sustainable OB/GYN on call specialist coverage at UHNBC.

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UHNBC provides both local and regional OB/GYN services to Northerners as a regional receiving hospital. Northern Health and the Ministry of Health have implemented income guarantee compensation models ($4,250/day) for Obstetrician/Gynecologist specialists at UHNBC, for which both local and locum providers are eligible.

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X: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com