More disruptions to maternity services possible across B.C., health minister says

B.C.'s health minister says more disruptions could be coming to maternity services across the province after people with high-risk pregnancies in Prince George were warned they could be sent out of the city for care starting in August.

Prince George is the largest service centre in northern B.C. and often provides health-care services for the entire region.

But in a notice to patients on Monday, Northern Health said a shortage of obstetrical specialists could limit care options available to expecting parents in the city.

"There will be occasions where we may need to transfer you (at no cost to you) to another centre in the province to ensure the safety of you and your baby," the health authority said. "The situation... is constantly evolving, and we are working to find coverage for any upcoming service gaps."

Prince George is the latest in a wave of maternity care disruptions hitting communities across B.C.

In May, doctors in Kelowna warned maternity services were on the verge of collapse amid a shortage of family physicians.

Earlier this year, Dawason Creek's only obstetrician-gynecologist left the community, forcing high-risk patients to travel an hour north to Fort St. John for care.

Despite recent efforts by the province to train and recruit more workers, Health Minister Josie Osborne says challenges to fill staff shortages remain.

"I think there is a possibility that we will see that kind of strain on services elsewhere," Osborne said at an unrelated news conference on Monday. "The health authorities, I know, are doing everything that they can to alleviate that strain, to work with physicians and care teams to ensure that services are there for people."

Osborne acknowledged the anxiety the disruptions are causing families, and said that no one in need of care would be turned away when a birth is imminent.

"We'll do everything we can to support people in that incredible time of need," Osborne said.

The province says it received almost 780 job applications from qualified American health professionals as part of its recruitment campaign in the U.S.

Of the applications received between May and June, 181 were for Interior Health, 154 for Fraser Health, 121 for Vancouver Coastal Health, 112 for Island Health, and 63 for Northern Health.

Osborne says more than 2,250 doctors, nurses and other health professionals have signed up for webinars and expressed interest in working in B.C. since the recruitment drive began in March.