MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
January 18, 2011
LONDON, Ontario - London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC) Emergency Departments, at both University and Victoria hospitals, are experiencing high levels of patient activity. In addition, there are insufficient beds to meet the current demand for services in all LHSC patient care areas.
Our first priority is the health and well being of our patients and we will continue to maintain high quality patient care under these circumstances. It is also our priority that the most critically ill are seen in a timely manner.
For non-life threatening emergencies we ask you to consider the following options:
- Contact your family doctor or go to a walk-in clinic;
- For general health advice and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week contact Telehealth Ontario 1-866-797-0000; and,
- If you must come into the Emergency Department for treatment be prepared for longer waits and please bring only one additional individual with you if necessary.
If you have a medical emergency phone 911 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.
About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been in the forefront of medicine in Canada for 135 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, South Street Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute, a joint research initiative with St. Joseph’s Health Care, London. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 50 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in Southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information, visit www.lhsc.on.ca.
- 30 -
After-hours assistance:
Call LHSC Switchboard at 519-685-8500 and ask to page the communication consultant on-call
