Northumberland Hills Hospital faced an unprecedented surge in patients in August, highlighting ongoing concerns about limited space, according to President and CEO Susan Walsh.
Speaking at the hospital board’s October meeting, Walsh described the period as challenging, with patients ranging from lower-risk cases to older adults with serious conditions who could not be easily discharged. She praised volunteers for their support during the difficult period.
Walsh said the hospital is launching an internal initiative to explore operational improvements and design changes to address capacity pressures. The province has also announced $47 million for a program focused on improving patient flow through lean methodology, although NHH is not among the participating hospitals.
The hospital has been told it is part of a control group and will need to provide extensive data, some of which it does not currently collect. Walsh said meeting the requirements will put additional pressure on staff.
(Richard Evans)
