Emergency room at Mission Memorial Hospital to close overnight

Mission Memorial Hospital is seen in this file photo. (CTV News)

The Mission Memorial Hospital emergency department will be temporarily closed due to “physician staffing challenges,” the health authority announced Sunday.

The department will close to new patients starting at 5 p.m. Sunday, and remain shuttered until 8 a.m. Monday, a bulletin from Fraser Health said.

“During the service interruption, emergency trained nurses will continue to be on site and available to support walk-in patients needing basic care, assist with redirection of care, and/or transfer patients with urgent needs to a neighbouring hospital,” the bulletin said.

“Fraser Health is working closely with B.C. Emergency Health Services to ensure patients requiring a higher level of care are directed or transferred to an appropriate hospital emergency service.”

Anyone who requires medical attention for a life-threatening emergency is urged to call 911.

The health authority noted all of its other emergency departments will remain open, but warned of the potential for long waits for anyone with “non-urgent” issues due to a high demand for services combined with “human resource challenges” across the region.