Patients asked to be patient as hospital catches up on surgeries

Tightened bed capacity at Windsor Regional Hospital has thrown a wrench into plans to reschedule hundreds of surgeries postponed in March because of COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean patients should call surgeons’ offices for a new date, the hospital says.

The hospital announced in May it would begin to reschedule elective and non-urgent surgical and clinical procedures after the Ontario government lifted its previous directive restricting services amid the pandemic. However, new instructions from the province this week mandating hospitals reserve at least 10 per cent of beds for a potential surge in COVID-19 cases are forcing the local hospital, which has exceeded 85 per cent occupancy, to closely monitor its surgery caseload.

“As we have stated previously, this will be a gradual and incremental restoration of more elective surgeries which will take many weeks, especially when you consider the volume of procedures that needed to be rescheduled and the need for preoperative care that has been on hold,” Windsor Regional Hospital chief of staff Dr. Wassim Saad in the news release on Tuesday. “Please be patient while we take the steps necessary to continue a safe, slow and incremental approach to gradually addressing the needs of all of our patients and their loved ones.”

Prior to the province’s recent instructions about restricting bed occupancy, the hospitals of the Erie-st. Clair West region initiated a regional plan to safely reopen and reschedule various appointments, Windsor Regional Hospital said.

The local hospitals’ news release also stated surgeons’ offices are dealing with a “significant increase in calls” from patients asking for a new date for their postponed procedures.

“While we understand patients are anxious to have their postponed procedures rescheduled, WRH is reminding patients that they will be notified directly of opportunities to reschedule surgeries and other appointments by their surgeon’s office,” the release said.

“Please do not contact the hospital, or surgeons’ offices, about a postponed appointment. Surgeons continue to look at their cases and prioritizing who can be scheduled first.”