Clinton hospital ER to stay closed Tuesday due to staffing shortage

Residents in and around the southwestern Ontario community of Clinton will have to go elsewhere for their urgent health matters on Tuesday.

The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) announced on Monday that Clinton Hospital's emergency department (ED) will be closed through the day as a result of "health human resource shortages."

The emergency department, which normally operates from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., will close Monday night and not reopen until 8 a.m. Wednesday.

"Anyone requiring immediate medical attention should call 9-1-1," a statement on HPHA's website reads.

"Paramedics will remain available to the community and will re-route to the nearest available Emergency Department to ensure local residents continue to have access to the emergency services they need."

The closest 24-hour emergency departments to Clinton are in Exeter, Goderich and Seaforth.

"It's been challenging, and not just unique to us, unfortunately. Mainly our smaller community rural EDs, there is a limited supply of resources for the expertise of emergency medicine," said Lynanne Mason, HPHA's VP of partnerships, transformation, and its chief nursing executive.

The hospital has looked at moving staff around and offering training and education to stabilize services and prevent disruption, and has been actively working to recruit and retain healthcare workers, Mason said.

"Things like funding through clinical extern programs, pay for results programs ... There are multiple physician recruitment options, that our team works really closely with our amazing local physicians in Clinton to ensure we have the best coverage possible. But unfortunately, we run into these days where we are unable to provide that coverage."

Monday's closure announcement is at least the fourth from HPHA this year related to Clinton's emergency department.

It was a nursing shortage that led to restricted hours of operation at Clinton's emergency department back in 2019. As HPHA's chief nursing executive, Mason says the nursing resources have become more stable, reducing the need for emergency department closures.

"Now it's shifted a little into that physician resource strain and their ability to cover multiple emergency departments," Mason said.

"Clinton, because they're at restricted hours, do not have access to all programs that 24/7 EDs have, such as HealthForceOntario physician coverage, but we do have strong locums that come and visit and help out in Clinton whenever they can."

CBC News found that Clinton's emergency department had the highest number of closed hours last year at 335, tied with Chesley hospital's. Clinton recorded 365 closed hours in both 2022 and 2023, the most of any hospital.