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February 7, 2005

Contact:
James Bullbrook
Communications Consultant, City-wide Restructuring
519-685-8500, ext. 75532

Countdown Begins to Emergency Department Changes

London, Ontario - Tuesday, February 8 marks the launch of the media campaign to publicize upcoming changes to emergency services in London. Over the subsequent seven days "countdown" messages will be heard on local radio and advertised in print. The goal of this campaign is to create awareness of upcoming changes to emergency services.

On Tuesday, February 15, 2005 the emergency department at St. Joseph's Hospital will move to London Health Sciences Centre.

There will be three emergency departments in the City of London after February 15, 2005:

  • University Campus Emergency Department, Windermere Road and Perth Drive
  • South Street Campus Emergency Department, 255 South Street
  • Children's Emergency Department at Victoria Campus, Commissioners & Wellington Roads

On Wednesday, February 16, 2005, a new health care service arrives. St. Joseph's Hospital will open an Urgent Care Centre to treat non life-threatening illnesses and injuries, such as scrapes, cuts, sprains, simple fractures or broken bones, ear aches, fevers, coughs and colds.

The hours of operation for the Urgent Care Centre will be from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., seven days per week.

For more information, call 1-866-313-5528 or visit www.emergencylondon.ca.

As always, if you have a medical emergency call 911 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

Changes to emergency services

Timing: Two-Phased Move

Phase I: 4 ER sites to 3 ER sites + Urgent Care Centre

  • Feb 15, 2005: St. Joseph's Hospital ER moves to LHSC
  • Feb 16, 2005: St. Joseph's Hospital Urgent Care Centre opens in former ER location


The Urgent Care Centre is new health care service for London. It will treat patients with non life-threatening injuries, such as scrapes, cuts, sprains, simple fractures or broken bones, ear aches, fevers, coughs and colds. The hours of operation for the Urgent Care Centre will be from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., seven days per week, 365 days a year.

Phase II: 3 ER sites to 2 ER sites + Urgent Care Centre

  • June 12, 2005: South Street Emergency Department relocates to Victoria Campus (location of current Children's ER)

Major radio, print and public service announcement communication campaigns are planned at both phases. Phase I communication begins February 8 in the form of a seven day countdown.

Emergency Department Facts and Figures

Number of Emergency Department Physicians:

  • Univerity Campus (UC) and South Street Campus (SSC): 23 ED physicians.
  • Children's Emergency: 18 physicians.
  • There are no SJHC physicians transferring to LHSC as of Feb 16, 2005.

Number of Emergency Department Staff LHSC
Current (to Feb 15):

  • UC currently has 57 staff members - 35 RN's & 22 Unit Clerks
  • SSC currently has 83 staff members - 50 RN's & 33 Unit Clerks
  • Children's Emergency staffing has 83 staff members - 52 RNs, 1 Social Worker, 30 Unregulated Health Care Workers.

Feb. 16:

  • UC 77 staff members - 51 RNs and 26 Unit Clerks.
  • SSC 99 staff members - 63 RNs and 33 Unit Clerks.
  • Children's Emergency staffing - no change

34 staff members transferring from SJHC to LHSC

  • 29 RN's, 3 Attendants and 2 Unit Clerks.
  • Of the 34, 16 RN's, 3 attendants and 2 unit clerks are going to UC ED; and 13 RNs are going to SSC ED

Number of Urgent Care Staff SJHC (beginning Feb 16, 2005)

  • 38
  • 6 physicians

Current annual LHSC visits projected to March 2005 are as follows:

  • Children's Emergency - 36,200 visits
  • South Street Emergency - 51,000 visits
  • University Campus Emergency - 38,000 visits

Projections for future growth at both UC and SSC

  • 20,941 annual visits are expected to transfer from SJHC to LHSC.
  • Projecting 60% or 13,000 visits will go to UC ED and 40% or 8,000 visits will go to SSC ED.

Projected number of visits to Urgent Care:

  • (?)


Restructuring Background

Since 1997, when the Health Services Restructuring Commission delivered its report for London, 19 transfers have occurred between St. Joseph's and London Health Sciences Centre; 3 services have consolidated. The first program to transfer was Acute Mental Health to LHSC in 1998. In 2002, adult rehabilitation beds consolidated at Parkwood Hospital

2005: Achievement of Milestone I
Milestone I is the largest transfer of hospital programs and services across London to date. Milestone I commenced March 2004 with the transfer of 25 medicine beds from St. Joseph's Hospital to LHSC University Campus. The 2005 transfers will include:

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Critical Care Orthopaedic (partial)
  • Gen Surgery (partial) Perioperative Care (partial)
  • Family Medicine Cardiac Surgery & Cardiology

 

Transfers begin February 15, 2005 and will continue until September 2005. At that time, over 2500 staff and physicians will work in a new location. By completion, 121 beds will have transferred from St. Joseph's Hospital to LHSC (including 88 in 2005), two beds will have transferred from LHSC to SJHC, and 215 beds will have transferred from South Street. At that time, major areas of St. Joseph's Hospital will begin Milestone II renovations. South Street Campus will remain a hub of activity, with programs such Acute Mental Health, Dialysis, Ambulatory Clinics, Nuclear Medicine, Sleep Lab, Research, Offices and Administration.