People in Port Alice will benefit from daily access to non-urgent hospital-based outpatient services, including X-rays, thanks to a new shuttle service established by Island Health.
As part of our commitment to improving access to services in North Vancouver Island, Island Health is establishing a shuttle service between several sites in the region. This will include daily return trips between the Port Alice Health Centre (PAHC) and Port Hardy Hospital (PHH).
This will lead to increased access to services like non-urgent X-rays, as X-rays were previously only available two days per week at the PAHC. Additionally, the built in X-ray machine at PHH provides superior clinical effectiveness compared to the portable X-ray machine that has been providing temporary services at the PAHC.
The shuttle service is expected to begin by mid-April 2023. More details, including information about how to book your trip, will be posted at islandhealth.ca/nvi.
Concurrent to this increased access to X-ray services at PHH, the program responsible for accrediting all diagnostic facilities in B.C. has informed Island Health that the portable X-ray machine currently in place at the PAHC can no longer be used beyond the end of March 2023. The portable X-ray machine has been operating at the PAHC since April 2022 and was approved as a temporary solution while Island Health developed longer-term plans.
Due to the lack of availability of replacement parts, the permanent X-ray machine previously located at the PAHC cannot be returned to service.