As construction continues on the Whitehorse General Hospital expansion, Dr. David Storey, a long-time surgeon in the territory, is stressing the urgency of space and staffing problems.

The $72-million expansion includes the addition of the MRI facility, which opened last January, and the new emergency department and second floor shell space to be used in the future. The new emergency department is expected to open in 2018.

The doctor’s letter flatly calls the hospital a “disaster scene.” It goes on to detail the situation being faced by staff at the hospital on a daily basis.

He has been practising in the territory for more than four decades.

“Our need is now and our need is critical,” he wrote, noting little more than ground-breaking has happened at the Whistle Bend facility.

“Any of you who can lobby the powers that be – and I can’t actually figure out who they are – please help us to procure enough funds and room to deal with our problem over the next few months, not just the next few years.”

Storey describes situations of bed and nursing shortages that have resulted in scheduled elective surgeries being cancelled as well as delays between surgeries.

When Storey started his practice in 1974, he noted, there were more than 100 hospital beds in the previous hospital, built in the late 1950s.

It boasted a full complement of staff including two full-time orderlies, two general surgeons, about 15 administrative staff as well as other medical professionals.

“I don’t recall many, if any, policy analysts, planners or program directors,” he wrote. “The nurses and doctors, I believe, at the time ran an exemplary show.”

Today, there’s about half the number of beds available for a population that’s doubled.

There are no orderlies and there’s often no staff available for the recovery room due to a lack of permanent staff.

It’s also difficult to find staff to work in the hospital’s ICU and emergency departments, he said.

“Our clinical nurse leaders and managers are literally pulling their hair out to find people to work, to find beds for patients and to arrange transfers to alternative locations,” Storey wrote.

“I have literally seen our wonderful clinical nurse leaders crying out of exasperation. No matter how hard they try we seem stymied.”

He goes on to argue more surgeries and visits from specialists are likely to be cancelled if things do not change.

The new addition being built, he pointed out, isn’t going to add a lot of beds for acute and post-surgery care.

“Thus we have only 17 beds to deal with medical and surgical needs of about 35,000 people,” he said, noting most beds are used by chronic and palliative care patients.

The originally-planned size of the current hospital was scaled down before construction began, concluding in the mid-1990s.

The Star was told this morning that Mike Nixon, the minister of Health and Social Services, is not commenting on Storey’s concerns.

Dan Macdonald, cabinet spokesman, called the issues operational, meaning a response falls under the jurisdiction of Yukon Hospitals.

James Low, Yukon Hospitals’ spokesman, said the organization will not speak directly to the veteran surgeon’s letter, which is on p. 17 of today’s Star.

Low did note the hospital is facing challenges and working to address them.

This morning, Craig Tuton, chair of the Yukon Hospital Corp. (YHC), was also quick to note the work being done everyday to address the issues. Meanwhile, work continues at the site of the continuing care facility in Whistle Bend, he added.

Once that’s built, he said, it’s expected hospital space will open up as long-term care patients move to the new 150-bed facility that’s been designed to eventually accommodate another 150 beds.

Tuton said he doesn’t dispute the concerns brought up by Storey, but argued work is being done everyday to deal with the issues.

“These are not concerns we take lightly,” Tuton said of the issues Storey has brought up.

Tuton and Low pointed out the hospital is limited by the resources available.

Tuton noted there are regular meetings between the hospital corporation and the government.

The government has heard the concerns of the corporation, he said, pointing out that the Whistle Bend facility expected to open in 2018 is “needed drastically.”

When residents who need long-term care are able to move there, he said, it’s anticipated the 55 beds at the hospital will provide sufficient space for patients who need hospital care.

At the same time, the hospital’s expansion will mean more space for the emergency department as well as a space on the second floor for up to 10 beds, as well as a data warehouse and a mechanical room.

Tuton went on to point out that on any given day there’s a team of about five to 10 staffers working to prioritize surgeries. In some cases, given the circumstances on that day, they’re deciding what will be postponed.

In most cases, elective surgery is rescheduled for a week or two later.

“These are very tough decisions,” Tuton said, praising the work of staff in working to provide the best health care options for Yukoners.

The challenges being faced now are not new, Tuton repeated.

“The frustrations are obvious,” he said.

While Low didn’t comment directly on Storey’s letter, he agreed the hospital is facing its share of challenges.

“It is no secret that bed availability at WGH is an ongoing, growing and critical challenge,” Low said in an emailed response.

“Last year, average occupancy in the hospital was nearly 86 per cent with many of those days at full capacity.

“Limited beds create incredible pressures on our staff in all areas and mean from time-to-time important elective surgeries are deferred. This decision is never taken lightly and is only done to ensure patient safety if beds are not available for post-surgical care.”

Low went on to point out that close to half the hospital beds are used by patients who need long-term care. The hospital and staff there are working to address those challenges “within the resources we have.”

As Storey alludes to in his letter, Low noted the costs of renovating the Thomson Centre to accommodate patients are too high.

“Renovations to the Thomson Centre were studied and considered a few years ago, but were not pursued due to the costs involved with bringing the space up to standard either for long-term care or acute hospital care,” he said.

Many hundreds of thousands of dollars have already been spent repairing major structural roof and wall problems in the centre, which opened in 1992.