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No easing of congestion issues at Abbotsford Regional Hospital

Despite new initiatives, hospital still not admitting most patients in a timely matter, figures show.
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Abbotsford Regional Hospital

Congestion problems continued at Abbotsford Regional Hospital (ARH) this spring, despite new initiatives aimed at better moving patients through the emergency room, according to Fraser Health’s most recent report card for the facility.

Just 30 per cent of emergency patients were admitted to hospital within 10 hours between January and May, a figure that is well below the target of 55 per cent. (Read the report card here.)

The number is a key measure of how well hospitals are moving patients through the system. Fraser Health facilities consistently fail to meet the target, with ARH often among the worst performers.

The 30 per cent number is the worst since Fraser Health began publicly releasing Health Care Report Cards nearly two years ago, and is down slightly from 30.3 per cent for January and February.

That decline comes despite three new initiatives launching in April, midway through the reporting timeline.

They include physicians overseeing discharges in the morning, as well as in the afternoon; a nurse responsible for “speeding up the treatment and discharging of those patients who don’t need admitting”; and “home health liaisons” who allow patients to be treated in the community.

“These initiatives support quality patient care, but we have to regularly look at how we need to refine our processes in light of increased patient volumes to ensure we continue providing the best care to our patients,” a Fraser Health spokesperson said.