Hospital moves to relieve pressure on Emergency Department and progress a review of its services… this follows a call from a veteran Emergency doctor to tackle overcrowding
The hospital has opened a ten-bed overflow unit to relieve pressure on the Emergency Department and on acute care wards.
A Bermuda Hospitals Board spokesperson confirmed that the unit was opened on April 15th – less than a week after a veteran Emergency doctor called out the hospital management for failing to tackle overcrowding.
The BHB spokesperson added that the unit was one of “a number of other measures currently in progress” to ease pressure on the Emergency Department. A Government-ordered assessment of the department is also being advanced.
Emergency Care at the hospital came under the spotlight earlier this month when Dr. Ed Shultz, who ran the Emergency Department at KEMH from 1988 until 2018, said lives were being put at risk by patients being ‘boarded’ in Emergency Department halls.
Dr. Shultz also proposed a number of immediate measures that could be taken to address overcrowding.
A few days later, the Ministry of Health directed BHB to engage in an independent operational review of its Emergency Department.
The day after the Ministry’s instruction, BHB opened an overflow unit, and a spokesperson said this week that “Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) continues to work closely with the Ministry of Health to advance the directive on the operational assessment of the Emergency Department…
“The Board has completed the internal steps needed to progress the review and is moving forward with engaging an external party…
“The review is expected to take place over the coming weeks.”
The spokesperson said it would be premature to set a completion date at this time.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson confirmed that BHB has been in communication about progressing the operational review.
The spokesperson said, “as directed by the Ministry, this process is being carried out with urgency and appropriate care…
“The Ministry will continue to support BHB as the assessment progresses.”
Both the Hospitals Board and the Ministry said the public will receive further updates “once the process reaches the appropriate stage”.
BHB Spokesperson on Operational Review, April 27 2026:
“Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB)continues to work closely with the Ministry of Health to advance the directive on the operational assessment of the Emergency Department. Last week, BHB confirmed that immediate steps to ease pressures in the Emergency Department are underway. These include the opening of a dedicated overflow unit with capacity for ten beds on 15 April, designed to relieve pressure on both the Emergency Department and acute wards, alongside a number of other measures currently in progress.
The Board has completed the internal steps needed to progress the review and is moving forward with engaging an external party. That process is advancing with urgency and care.
The review is expected to take place over the coming weeks. Quality and accuracy must not be compromised, so it would be premature to set a completion date at this time.
Further information will be shared once the process reaches the appropriate stage for public updates.”
Ministry of Health spokesperson on Emergency Care Operational Review, April 27 2026:
The BHB has confirmed that the operational assessment of the Emergency Department is underway and that continued steps to ease pressures are in progress.
BHB has advised that the Board has completed the internal steps required to advance the review and is moving forward with engaging an external party. As directed by the Ministry, this process is being carried out with urgency and appropriate care.
The Ministry will continue to support BHB as the assessment progresses. Further information will be shared once the process reaches the appropriate stage for public updates.
