Interior Health managers are in Trail this week meeting with local leaders, medical staff, and patients to discuss the future of laboratory services.
The health authority announced in June that it would close the downtown Trail lab on July 28 and move staff to Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, where they are needed for emergency and patient care. Outpatients would then have to use the LifeLabs outlet in Waneta Plaza instead.
However, the announcement was met with strong pushback from city council and the community, and the changes have since been postponed indefinitely.
“We’ve heard a lot of additional feedback from members of the community requesting further consideration and engagement around this change,” said Joanne Isber, program director of laboratory services. “Interior Health wants to acknowledge those concerns expressed by patients, the mayor and council, and the community.”
Isber said meetings this week will look at options to address concerns that have been raised, specifically around location and accessibility of services. She said she couldn’t speculate on what a solution might look like.
“We want to hear what all the concerns are and take some time to really look at what the unique situation is in Trail and be able to land on a service model that meets those needs,” Isber said.
There is no timeline for a decision.
Interior Health said changes to lab services are needed to make best use of the limited staffing resources in Trail to provide lab services to both acute care patients at the regional hospital and to outpatients.
For the time being, patients can still go to the Trail Health Centre, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. or LifeLabs at Waneta Plaza, Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
