An anticipated overnight closure at Fort Nelson General Hospital has been cancelled after Northern Health secured additional staffing.
The emergency department was expected to be interrupted from 6 p.m. Thursday until 8 a.m. Friday because of staffing challenges.
Northern Health had initially announced the interruption would begin at 6 a.m. Thursday, before updating the hours after staffing was arranged to partially reduce the disruption.
The health authority said the expected interruption has now been completely mitigated, meaning emergency department services will remain open and uninterrupted.
In a statement, Northern Health said it works to prevent and reduce service interruptions whenever possible.
“Northern Health works to mitigate and prevent service interruptions up to and during any expected interruption.
“As a result, staffing was found for the emergency department from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.”
Northern Health said additional staffing was found as of Thursday morning, eliminating the need for the planned interruption.
The health authority also acknowledged that outdated information was briefly displayed on its Emergency Department Status website Thursday morning.
“Outdated information was briefly displayed this morning on the Northern Health Emergency Department Status website, but has since been corrected,” the health authority said.
“Northern Health apologizes for any confusion this error may have caused.”
Northern Health is reminding residents that emergency department status can change quickly and is encouraging the community to check its online status page for the latest information.
Residents experiencing a life-threatening emergency, including chest pain, difficulty breathing or severe bleeding, should call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.
For non-urgent care, residents can contact the Northern Health Virtual Primary and Community Care Clinic at 1-844-645-7811. The service is available daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Indigenous residents and their family members who have limited or no access to a doctor can also access the First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day program by calling 1-855-344-3800.
HealthLink B.C. is also available at 8-1-1 for non-emergency health advice.
