Lakeridge Health reducing elective surgeries in a month-long period

DAN CEARNS, The Standard

DURHAM: With COVID-19 and Influenza putting stress on healthcare systems across Ontario, Lakeridge Health has been forced to make a difficult choice.

In a statement emailed to The Standard, Lakeridge Health announced they would reduce the number of elective surgeries at their sites.

“As a result of the increase of respiratory illnesses impacting many young people, hospitals across Ontario, including Lakeridge Health, continue to see a high volume of paediatric patients,” the statement read. “To ensure the safest environment for patients, while balancing critical staffing resources and increased patient volumes during this challenging time, we have had to make the difficult decision to reduce the number of elective inpatient surgeries for an interim period, beginning November 10th through to December 10th. This initiative will further enable our hospital teams to better support acute paediatric patient access and respond to urgent needs in Durham Region.”

The statement continued, Lakeridge Health understands “how difficult this decision can be for patients and their families” and that this decision was not made lightly.

“Our teams continue to work with families to reschedule all deferred surgical procedures. At this time, all urgent and priority paediatric surgeries are continuing across Lakeridge Health,” the statement concluded.

Across Ontario, hospitals have been dealing with rising respiratory infections and staffing shortages. Last month, a joint statement between Lakeridge Health and Durham’s paramedics explained “Lakeridge Health’s Emergency Departments continue to experience critical staffing shortages and high patient volumes” and this was leading to an increase in offload times for paramedics, as well as “overall wait times for less acute patients.”