Mission ER closing overnight Sunday due to doctor shortage

Mission Memorial Hospital is seen in this file photo. (CTV News)

The emergency room at Mission Memorial Hospital will close at 5 p.m. Sunday due to “physician staffing challenges,” according to the health authority.

The timing of the closure is meant to ensure that anyone who is already waiting to see a doctor will be able to receive treatment before the physician’s shift ends at 11 p.m., Fraser Health said in a bulletin.

“During the service interruption, emergency-trained nurses will continue to be on site and available to support walk-in patients needing basic care, assist with re-direction of care, and/or transfer patients with urgent needs to a neighbouring hospital,” the bulletin said.

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Emergency rooms at all other hospitals in the Fraser Health region are open, but people with non-urgent issues can expect long waits due to “high numbers of people seeking care and human resources challenges,” according to the bulletin.

The emergency room will re-open at 8 a.m. Monday.

The emergency room at Mission memorial Hospital has been closed a number of times this year due to a shortage of doctors, and the health authority said physician recruitment efforts are ongoing.