Ottawa Hospital increases surge plans to address capacity, staffing pressures

File photo of The Ottawa Hospital. (CTV News Ottawa)

The Ottawa Hospital is implementing its next phase of surge plans to deal with increasing patient capacity and staffing pressures due to COVID-19, including redeploying staff and treating patients in "unconventional spaces."

"The hospital is prepared and well-positioned to respond to the increasing needs of our patients. However, as capacity and staffing pressures continue to climb, TOH must implement its next phase of surge plans," said the Ottawa Hospital.

Ottawa's largest hospital announced late Friday that the next phase of surge plans includes increasing bed capacity, redeploying staff who will be freed up from the ramp down of non-urgent services, and adjusting staffing models.

"In some cases, this may mean that patients receive care in unconventional spaces. These spaces are being adjusted to ensure that patient safety, comfort and experience are all maintained," said the Ottawa Hospital.

In line with new provincial directives, the Ottawa Hospital is also postponing non-urgent surgeries, procedures and ambulatory care activity so it can direct staff to provide urgent and emergent care.

"It is a difficult task to make these decisions and inform patients that their surgery or procedure has been postponed," said the Ottawa Hospital. 

"Care teams are currently identifying which surgeries, procedures and ambulatory care activity will be postponed on a case-by-case basis, based on factors such as urgency and the health situation of each patient. Patients whose care is impacted will be contacted in the coming days and weeks."

As of Thursday, the Ottawa Hospital General Campus was at 103 per cent capacity, while the Civic Campus was at 94 per cent occupancy.

There are 167 patients at the two campuses requiring an alternative level of care.

Ottawa Public Health reported 43 patients in Ottawa area hospitals with active COVID-19 infections on Friday.

Ottawa hospitals have been dealing with staffing shortages due to COVID-19 infections over the past two weeks.

Earlier this week, the Ottawa Hospital said more than 100 staff at the Ottawa Hospital are off work.