Whereas access to emergency medical services is critical for all British Columbians and hospital emergency department closures severely disrupt critical healthcare access, potentially endangering communities and lives by delaying urgent medical treatment; And whereas reliable communication and immediate notification during hospital emergency department closures is essential to ensure the public is informed of alternate healthcare facilities, preventing unnecessary delays; And whereas a reliable and immediate notification system to alert the public to emergency department closures and alternate care locations is not in place: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the provincial government establish a standardized emergency notification system, utilizing platforms such as text alerts, mobile alert applications and local media to inform the public of temporary emergency department closures and directing residents to the nearest available healthcare facilities.
Ministry of Health Thank you for raising the issue of standardized public notification for temporary emergency department closures across British Columbia. The Ministry of Health is committed to ensuring that residents continue to have access to appropriate emergency care during temporary service interruptions. Health authorities plan for potential service disruptions and activate established protocols to maintain continuity of care, including coordinating patient transport and ensuring availability of alternate emergency facilities. Health authorities issue public notifications during temporary emergency department closures and apply communication methods appropriate to their regions. The Ministry will continue working with health authorities to support timely and reliable public communication during service disruptions. The Ministry has heard the request for more standardized and consistent public notifications when service disruptions occur and is assessing opportunities to strengthen and improve this approach across the health system. When a service disruption occurs, health authorities ensure that community notifications are issued and that patients continue to have access to the appropriate level of care. Each health authority is responsible for determining the most appropriate platforms and timing for distributing public service announcements for each specific community, as the accessibility and use of communication platforms can differ significantly from one community to another. Health authorities make every effort to keep communities informed about changes to health care services, including emergency services, as soon as possible. British Columbia Emergency Health Services BCEHS plays a critical role in responding to medical emergencies across the province. People should always call 9-1-1 in the event of a life-threatening health emergency so they can be assessed by paramedics and transported to the nearest appropriate and available facility. This may be a local emergency department, or an alternate facility if the local emergency department is temporarily unavailable at the time of the call.