The biggest hospital in the province is about to be the latest forced to divert patients due to a shortage of OBGYNs.

The latest developments affect pregnant patients at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH).

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A letter to staff from senior leadership at the hospital says that as of Saturday, Feb. 28, patients who experience severe trauma — such as injuries from a major car accident — will no longer be able to access treatment at VGH.

Instead, they’ll have to be transferred to somewhere like Lionsgate Hospital in North Vancouver or Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster.

At a media event Tuesday morning, B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne said anyone in the Lower Mainland should continue to follow their care plan as planned.

“I want to remind everybody, too, that Vancouver General Hospital is not an obstetrics site. This is not a place where babies are routinely delivered,” Osborne explained.

She says Vancouver Coastal Health and the Provincial Health Services Authority have been working to resolve the issue around physician staffing.

“In the meantime, there is a safety plan for people in place for the very, very low likelihood that somebody presenting with the severe trauma and needs the type of care.”

Dr. Rob Carruthers, with Consultant Specialists of BC, says the diversions could introduce serious risk.

“For anyone who’s lived in the Lower Mainland, they will know that in a time-sensitive situation, there is not time for that kind of transfer.”

Carruthers says he’s becoming increasingly worried about the state of B.C.’s health-care system in general, but especially relating to access to specialists.

“This is not isolated to obstetrics. This involves neurology, internal medicine and other groups. And so it’s not just the folks in obstetrics. And so I’m really worried about how the health-care system is doing and where things are gonna head from here.”

The change comes after months of temporary diversions in maternity wards around the province, including in Maple Ridge, White Rock, Prince George, and Kamloops.

Carruthers says it’s even more concerning that the staffing issues at VGH were known about for more than a year — but the change came into effect with only same-day notice last weekend.