Unprecedented patient volume reported at Surrey Memorial Hospital

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SURREY (NEWS1130) – Surrey Memorial Hospital is seeing a very high volume of patients coming to the emergency room.

It’s being described an unprecendented level of volume.

Ken Donohue with Fraser Health says between 400 and 500 people are coming to the ER daily, which is over a hundred more than what is normally seen.

He says the flu outbreak is partly to blame and says there is a C. difficile outbreak in one of the hospital’s wards.

“You have a situation where you have a high number of people who need care. We find beds for all the patients that need them. Not everybody that comes into the emergency needs a bed.”

BC Nurses’ Union President Gayle Duteil is telling a different story. “We certainly have been hearing that admitted patients requiring hospital care, requiring nursing care are sitting in chairs waiting for beds. Nurses are saying it’s the worst they’ve ever seen.”

She calls the entire situation chaotic. “Our nurses are doing their best but from the emergency department, the ICU, the family birthing unit, there are not enough nurses. This also speaks to a shortage of specialty-trained nurses, as well. Fraser Health has responsibility in that.”

Duteil says the BCNU will be urgently approaching Fraser Health to request more nurses be hired.

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