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Contact your primary care providers for non-urgent care urges hospital

'This summer our Health Centre saw record-high volumes in our Emergency Department'
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As primary care has fully re-opened, primary care providers are urging patients to contact them first for non-urgent care.

Dr. Gordon Mah, General and Family Practice Chief of Department at the North Bay Regional Health Centre says contacting your primary care provider—doctor, nurse practitioner—is the best first step for non-emergencies.

“Your primary care provider knows you and your health history and is the best equipped to deal with chronic issues, arrange for referrals and additional testing,” Dr. Mah says.

In the early days of the pandemic, many providers moved to virtual visits to ensure the safety of their patients, staff, and themselves says a hospital news release.

"Now given the high COVID-19 vaccination rates and availability of PPE, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ministry of Health, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons all have endorsed the return of in-person visits when appropriate, as some patients may not fully benefit from virtual care."

“This summer our Health Centre saw record-high volumes in our Emergency Department,” Dr. Mah says. “We suspect some of this increase in volume was linked to patients with non-urgent health concerns presenting to the Emergency Department to be seen by a physician in person.”

Non-urgent visits to the Emergency Department are a concern for health care workers because the increase in volumes impacts patient flow throughout the hospital, increases wait times and stretching already stressed resources.

Dr. Rogy Masri, Chief of Emergency Medicine says patients should always come to the Emergency Department for emergencies or anything they consider serious.

“However, patients coming to the ED for non-urgent concerns could be facing a wait of several hours. We know this wait is frustrating for the patients waiting several hours, and for the health care workers trying to provide the best care possible.”

Other options for non-urgent care include walk-in clinics and telehealth Ontario. However, Dr. Masri stresses that as always, in an emergency, don’t hesitate and come to the Emergency Department.