Mission Memorial Hospital ER closing overnight—again

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

The emergency department at Mission Memorial Hospital will be closed from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning due to ongoing challenges with physician staffing, according to the health authority.

The “temporary service interruption” begins at 5 p.m. so patients already in the ER can be seen by a doctor before their shift ends at 11 p.m., Fraser Health explained. The department will reopen at 8 a.m.

“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 re-direction of care, and/or transfer patients with urgent needs to a neighbouring hospital,” the health authority wrote in a notice.

Those experiencing a life-threatening emergency are asked to call 911 for transport to the nearest “available and appropriate” health-care facility.

While other emergency rooms in the region will remain open, Fraser Health warned of longer wait times.

The Mission Memorial Hospital ER closed during the same period last week, and a number of other times this year. Between March 14 and May 4, the department was only open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day instead of the usual 24 hours.

Fraser Health says it is making “every effort” to recruit more doctors.