Brampton urgent care centre closes early amid staffing 'challenges' seen province-wide

An urgent care centre in Brampton is the latest emergency centre in Ontario forced to cut hours due to widespread staffing challenges.

Peel Memorial Hospital will close their centre at 5 p.m Sunday, rather than their usual closing time at 9 p.m. 

“Like a number of hospitals, we are experiencing human resource challenges and continue to explore all strategies to help our teams continue to provide exemplary care to our community,” William Osler said in response to inquiries about when the centre will reopen.

“As always, our top priority remains the health and safety of our patients, staff, physicians, volunteers and our community. We ask for our community’s understanding during this difficult time.”

The centre will reopen with normal hours Monday. Emergency Departments at both Brampton Civic Hospital and Etobicoke General Hospital remain open.

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Emergency rooms and urgent care centres across the province have seen slashed hours, consolidated staff and forced closures this month, including at hospitals in Clinton, Kingston and Perth, Ont.

Labour shortages have been fuelled by workers leaving hospital roles or the profession altogether after more than two grueling years on the frontlines of the pandemic, say organizations representing nurses, physicians and public hospitals in the province.

"The staffing shortage is (because of) the burnout and people leaving," Ontario Nurses’ Association President Cathryn Hoy said in an interview last week.

"But why they're burning out is because they come in for an eight or 12-hour shift and they're staying 16 hours. Sometimes they’re staying 24 hours."

Hoy said she has heard from nurses who've reported emergency rooms temporarily staffed with a single nurse to cover 30 patients, some hospitals with dozens of unfilled ER positions and patients cared for in hallways.

"A nurse can't be everywhere," she said.

The Ontario Ministry of Health has said the province is working to bolster workforce capacity, by offering lump sum retention bonuses and providing funds to recruit more nurses to target areas across the province.

With files from The Canadian Press.