Capacity Crisis Grips PEI & NB Hospitals

Charlottetown, PEI & Fredericton, NB – Hospitals in both Prince Edward Island (PEI) and New Brunswick (NB) are facing a significant capacity crisis, largely driven by a growing number of patients awaiting placement in long-term care facilities. The situation is forcing hospitals to utilize unconventional spaces for beds and rely heavily on overtime and agency staff.

PEI Struggles with Overcapacity and ALC Patients

Health PEI is repurposing respite beds for long-term care and increasing staff overtime. Officials are considering temporary agency staff to manage the situation, hoping to return to normal system capacity or create additional capacity in anticipation of potential surges like the flu season. Currently, approximately 110 patients are considered ‘Alternate Level of Care’ (ALC) – meaning they are in hospital but require a different level of care, with 73 specifically awaiting long-term care beds. Over the past year, 17 long-term care beds have been added, with another 24 expected by the end of March. 43 acute care beds were also added. Despite these efforts, hospital surgeries have not been slowed down, but emergency department wait times are expected to increase.

New Brunswick Faces Decades-Old Problem

Horizon Health in New Brunswick raised concerns earlier this summer regarding a record number of seniors occupying hospital beds despite not requiring hospital-level care. This issue has been predicted for decades, with government reports dating back to 1991 warning of the impending crisis. A temporary measure implemented by the Holt government placed these patients at the top of the nursing home waitlist for 30 days, but experts say this is a short-term fix to a long-term problem.

Failed Attempts and Political Will Questioned

Demographic shifts, with a growing and aging population, have exacerbated the problem, exceeding projections for required long-term care beds. Previous attempts to address the issue, such as the Higgs government’s 2019 plan to reduce nighttime emergency care at six small hospitals and convert them into ALC facilities, were met with public opposition and ultimately abandoned. Critics argue a lack of political will is the core issue, with promises made during elections often failing to materialize into concrete action. The current Holt government’s goal is to simply maintain the current waitlist numbers, a target many believe is insufficient given ongoing demographic trends.

Fogo Island Doctor Shortage Highlights Rural Healthcare Challenges

The report also touched on the challenges facing rural healthcare, specifically on Fogo Island, Newfoundland, which went without a resident doctor for the first time in over 200 years in 2022. While a physician has since been found, the situation underscores the difficulties in attracting and retaining doctors in rural communities, impacting preventative care and forcing residents to seek emergency care only.