Northern Health's guidelines for Emergency Room use are helpful, but not quite answering the larger issues of the day

Northern Health has posted some notes on when it is and isn't appropriate to make use of the Emergency Room, a helpful guide for sure for patients curious to know what conditions warrant a trip to the Hospital or which are best solved by the family doctor,  virtual consultant or those at a pharmacy.

Included in the messaging, was some additional background on the new pharmacy focused health assistance that is available in BC.

The intent we imagine, that to reduce the stresses and strains on Emergency Care in Prince Rupert.

The item was posted to the Northern Health Prince Rupert focused  Social media page today.

And while the guidance is welcome, the timing is a bit curious, considering the larger issue of the week isn't so much if anyone should go to the Emergency Room for treatment, but rather if anyone would be there to treat them  if they did.

As well, what really would be a welcome relay of information,  would be any further details from Northern Health towards how they hope to resolve the current physician shortage that has resulted in the recent closures.

Last night marked the first night since last Friday when the Prince Rupert ER was open to the public for a full 24 hour period.

If that cycle of closures should resume say with further closure notices this weekend ...  Then the helpful guide towards Emergency Room protocol will likely gain community attention but not in the way that Northern Health Administrators might hope.

More notes on the week of closures can be reviewed from our Archive page.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.