lntormation Note
Department of Health and Community Services

Title: Emergency room visits by residents of the Botwood catchment area

issue: To provide an update on the number of visits by residents in the Bolwood catchment area
to the emergency rooms in the Dre Hugh Twomey Heaith Centre in Botwood and the Central
Newfoundland Regionat Health Centre in Grand Falls~Windsor

 

Background and Current Status:

Prior to June 15, 2016, the Dr. Hugh Twomey Health Centre in Botwood operated
a 24 hour emergency room (ER) service. The served a catchment area of 9?155

residents in 12 communities

During 2015, there were 10,051 visits to the Botwood ER, with 87 per cent of these occurring
from 8 am to 8 pm, The i312 visits during 8 pm to 8 am averaged three or four visits each
evening.

it was acknowledged that this was an inefficient use of resources and Central Heaith (CH)
proposed a reduction in service hours to address deficit pressures and to increase efficiency.

On June 15, 2016 CH reduced the ER at from a 24~hour service service with after-hours diversion of emergency ciients to the ER at the Centrai Newfoundland
Regional Health Centre in Grand Fails-Windsor.

The distance between Bctwood and Grand FaiisWindsor is approximately 42 kilometers, or
a 30 minute drive.

ER registration data for the calendar year 2018 continues to support the 20t6 decision to
reduce the service hours at 

The following table summarizes the number of visits, at each ER, by community

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tabie 1 
I Dr. that Minty Health Centre . Central Newloundiand Miami Health Centre
tome 1mm
San from
1? 11m: 0 Scan 9? at Total I Tmei Tim. Botwood 1 9? tram 3? of 
to War! to er-w Botwood
(weakest hm . 8pm sun iMlmtui mchemcm Catchment to
Comm 83m to NHL 7 Tan! 

lBotwood 2,375 rises _57 9e. "mg ?es 23.3% and? 2m
Bis_hqg?s fails . 3.156 l'i 205 2 6?51- 11 3333 35% egg 20 set
Cottreli'sCovg . 1122? {it ME a: . 095i 119 391%
fertilee?trseet Glover: Harbour 23.2% 18 83.3%
_Ludlg? Titties . 33.321 54_ 2_1_6 2 8% 22 1 5% 238 903%
Northern Ann 425 352 crest . 31.9%. 38i_ 91 
Peter-vim 82E 51 Logs. 13 96? Edit 1.1?2 91.8%
Ph?alips Head 15] 1g 15; 2.058 _39 a 0.5% 150 950%
Plemntview is? 3? 1? 9253'" 59 . areas 17 100.0%
Point Lumington 59] 27 5.0% $94 16% 519 57 296
Point ofeai _152Other Communities 46?4 _ng'e I .. - 

mg . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dept of Finance, 2018 Census Data

 

BN-2019-o?Poa

Analysis:

.

The number of residents reported in the 2016 population census fer the Botwood catchment
area is 83809., a decrease of 348 panels from the 91155 identified in the 2011 population
sensest

The number at after hour {8 pm to 8 am) visits te by residents of the Botwood

catchment area during 2018 is 1,497, an average of four visits per evening. If the evening

visits for residents of Bishop?s Falls (786} is removed from the total annuat visits (1 ,497), this

rpr'lunec: tn 711 approximately two par-r evening

{3 Residents of BishOp?s Faiis are closer to (EN RHC, and more likety to present at that facility
rather than at the 

As can be seen in Table 1, more than 83 per cent of all ER presentations for the residents of
the Botwood catchment area are made at with the exception of residents of Bishop's
Falls who are eioser to ONRHC.

The data from 2018 supports the 2016 CH recommendation that ER service from 8 pm to 8
are is not required at the as residents at the Boheeod catchment area are accessing
ER services from as needed.

Action Being Taken:

HCS wilt continue to monitor ER services at by residents of the Botwood catchment
area during the hours ensure service needs of residents are being met,

PreparediApproved by: F?w Barneszi Bridgemanr i?t. Hanrahan/K. Stone

Ministerial Approval: Received from Hon. John Haggis, MD 


February 21. 2G?i9