‘Our Hospital Is Under Tremendous Pressure’
The Ministry of Health today issued an “urgent appeal to the public as King Edward VII Memorial Hospital continues to experience significant pressure.”
A spokesperson said, ”Patients who need to be admitted for inpatient care are waiting for beds in the Emergency Department, while many individuals who are medically fit for discharge remain in acute care units.
Minister of Health Kim Wilson stated: “Our hospital is under tremendous pressure. At this time, we have patients in the Emergency Department waiting for admission, while more than half of the beds are occupied by individuals who are medically fit for discharge. This situation is unsustainable and impacts the ability of our healthcare professionals to provide timely care to those in urgent need.
Minister Wilson emphasised that the hospital’s Emergency Department should be reserved for true emergencies: “The Emergency Department is not the place for routine care. If you are experiencing minor illnesses or injuries, please visit your primary care physician or the urgent care clinic if it is on Saturday or Sunday between 9am and 9pm. Hospital beds must remain available for those in critical need. We all have a role to play in ensuring the system functions effectively.”
The spokesperson added, “With Bermuda now in the midst of the cold and flu season, the Minister reminded the public to take proactive steps to protect their health. Practice good hygiene, including frequent handwashing; stay home if you are unwell to prevent spreading illness; get vaccinated; and seek advice from your primary care physician for non-emergency conditions.
“The Ministry of Health and the Bermuda Hospitals Board are actively working to ease the strain on the hospital system by expanding nursing home capacity to provide more long-term care placements, strengthening home care services so families can manage discharged patients at home with professional support, partnering with private care providers to increase options for community-based care, and improving discharge coordination to ensure medically fit patients leave the hospital promptly.”
Minister Wilson also reminded families of their responsibility to support loved ones who are medically fit for discharge: “The KEMH Acute Care Wing is not intended or appropriate for long-term accommodation. Families must step forward to care for relatives once they are medically fit for discharge. By doing so, you are helping ensure that beds are available for those who truly need them.”
KEMH CEO, Mr. Scott Pearman, added: “BHB has activated a response to release the acute beds for the patients waiting in the emergency. This is being achieved by opening surge spaces in the General Wing, or doubling up rooms in the Acute Care Wing, into which medically fit for discharge patients will be transferred.
“This means medically fit for discharge patients will be in communal rooms, enabling us to focus the acute resources on those who are most in need. These additional beds very clearly increase the need for additional staffing, and we would like to thank all the BHB clinical and support staff who are making this happen with additional shifts. This work has helped us reduce the number of patients waiting for an acute care bed in the Emergency Department from a high of 30 on Tuesday.
Mr. Pearman also acknowledged the dedication of emergency staff and the patience of those waiting: “We need to appreciate emergency staff and patients in the Emergency Department who have been experiencing a high level of overcrowding. Our excellent emergency staff have been ensuring all patients with emergency needs get seen despite this pressure. People with true emergencies, whether a suspected stroke, chest pains or unexplained bleeding, will be seen in good time and must attend as needed.
”To help reduce the number of people in the Emergency Department itself, we have been running our additional Fast Track system for lower acuity cases. However, we implore people who are only experiencing minor issues to book a visit with their primary care physician. We have noticed that there is a significant number of people who do not have a primary care physician of record who come to the Emergency Department.
“It is incredibly important that they sign up with a primary care physician and not use emergency services for all their medical issues. This is not just to reduce emergency pressure. Your primary care physician is your community partner in managing your health, knowing your history, ensuring you are on top of regular tests and screening, and managing any chronic issues you may have.”
The Ministry of Health continues to work with the Bermuda Hospitals Board to expand community care options and relieve pressure on acute care services.
Minister Wilson concluded: “We must act together. By taking care of ourselves, using the healthcare system responsibly, and supporting our families, we can ease the strain on our hospital and ensure that care is available for those who need it most.”
“The Ministry of Health today issued an “urgent appeal to the public as King Edward VII Memorial Hospital continues to experience significant pressure.””
I love our new hospital, I really. But it is not the most efficient design we could have had. It gives the impression of stoking someone’s ego rather than being best value for money.
Surely not. A building totally unfit for local needs but paid for for over 25 years by taxpayers? Yet the public aka taxpayer have no idea who owns the ACW. Possibly involves an ex Premier who wanted medical tourism? Heaven help Bermuda if another Covid should happen, which of course it will.
Another failure of government.
Ask Ewart why
BAM! You won the internet today. Surprised that he did not have it renamed in his honour complete with a larger than life statue of himself out front.
It is a prime example of form taking precidence over needs. All very nice and pretty but woefully inadequate for our needs. Very different from the airport terminal where terminal design professionals put function as top priority and made design fit the need. The result is a building that functions the way it is supposed to.
Whatever happened to that $100 MILLION or so that was found several years ago?
Had the PLP stopped wasting more money on Grand Atlantic when it reached $40 million it could have been used as a seniors home. Far more cost efficient than the $30,000 a month at the ACW.
But the PLP Government had to show the public what great and profitable property developers they are.
A BAILEY BRIDGE IS was specifically designed as temporary metal structure which is used in the event of an emergency for crossing water ,if you want to see one plus one going the other way go down to the eastern end of the cause way I bet that cost a bundle and i doubt if that bridge set up would last for ever. nothing beats concrete which is easily repairable..
The old old story is nothing last for ever the more that is built the more money it takes to maintain and insure it . ALso the more you buy in person relates to the more you have to find a place to keep it. This countries bill for to day’s work on maintenance bill has become monumental for even so much as painting alone, and that is hard work and is not high our young people’s to do list not many not want any thing to do with the trades that is cement and sand etc ; the father son trades are over who is going to teach the unwilling . No body gives away the secrets regarding their trade . Can we leave the heat of the summer out of it . Are we entering into the era of throw away buildings. i do not like to tell you this the day of the flat roof is coming to an end soon. Buildings may get real modern if we can find suitable land .
the only way for the city of Hamilton in Bermuda is up.
It has been a number of years now but the last time that I passed UNDER those Bailey bridges the degree of rust in the beams was a very scary sight.
The day will come when something heavy passes over and the whole thing will give way.
The PLP has been promising new bridges and causeway since DrEB days. Burt has been promising construction since 2017 about to start. He has gone silent on the job now.
Another PLP fail.
Let’s not forget the DEADBEAT families who DUMP their elderly at the hospital because they don’t want to take care of them any more.
They are SCUMBAGS.
It is the Government’s job to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. That has been PLP policy for over 60 years.
They should have planned to have two people in the room and not just one person. Like it used to be, in the old KEMH.
Out of all the diseases on earth panic is the number one .
i guess that you all know the whole world is watching . Bermuda is at a half way to any destination.
An issue : let seniors deal with seniors over the bed problem
What are we being told here that somebody is not doin their job, but , have a ton of excuses. Why is every other thing with our Government ministries all about passing the buck, this is a very distressing state of affairs, most of the space in our hospital is out in the hall. What if our hospital had to deal with a plane crash at our airport or near by. The problems will be catastrophic . Death could be high . Who will manage or beter still coordinate the entire procedure.
Who has the transportation available ? Nurses and Doctors are some could be our visitors are available people or as early local retires who can help ,are they on the island or even available, these are people here who can help. Is the old hospital vacant an available in the hall way. what other space are available who knows ?
We pay future care that is costing us millions, where else can people go but to the hospital ? They have paid money in advance we all know that Covid 19 was botched up all we had to do is become a hermits. that was a national disaster many did not make it
Time as come to put plans into action , is 911 ready for action , if we hav a plan or that been long over due for a test run.
Place all those individuals that are fit to be discharged out of their rooms and in the hallways. Let’s see how fast they return to their dead beat families. Those hallways have lights 24/7.
If you don’t take steps it will only get worse as more families take this approach.
The families of those put out in the hallways won’t care if they are in the hallways, in a room or even in the parking lot. They simply don’t care.
Their day will come but they are not thinking about that. They are too busy travelling the world, buying cars, buying the latest and largest big screen, fancy dinners, costumes for festivals, gold chains, anything to impress anyone who will look or listen.
The day will come before they know it when they will be parked in the hallways.
How much has The Grand Atlantic, or whatever the current name is, cost us?
First cost was quoted at something like $70M. What is it now with all of the reworks and the cost of the money doing all of the reworks, plus the cost of the years of maintenance with no income.
What could it be? $200M? $300M? More?
That whole area could have been developed at very little cost into a parkland with a turnout to enjoy the views. The money spent on this uneeded fiasco could have been spent on converting unused and underused schools into the now here seniors boom daycare and fulltime care seniors facilities.
Is anyone surprised? It’s been a mess for a while now
Build more hospitals and employ more workers
Spend more money we do not have?