July 30, 2021
EDMONTON – Alberta Health Services (AHS) has launched a new webpage that provides information regarding short-term, temporary bed reductions. The webpage, which will be updated regularly, can be found here: AHS.ca/FacilityStatus
Any patient needing emergency or acute care anywhere in Alberta will continue to receive the high quality of care you expect from AHS.
Patient care is available at all AHS facilities.
The vast majority of all beds remain open and available for patient care.
AHS has about 8,500 acute care beds across the province – 98.2 per cent of those beds are open and available for patients. AHS has about 1,200 emergency department care spaces across the province. Of those, 97.1 per cent are open and available.
Short term, temporary bed closures are having minimal impact on our ability to provide safe, quality patient care and we are doing all we can to mitigate any impact.
Temporary bed closures are not uncommon for AHS or any other health system, especially in the summer – when staffing levels are historically lower as our healthcare workers tend to take more personal time or vacation. The system is constantly dynamic, and we manage beds on an hourly and daily basis, depending on patient need, staffing levels, acuity of patients and many other factors.
There are a number of reasons behind a decision to reduce bed numbers at a site, including staff availability, physician coverage, and construction or upgrade work.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
