This is an opinion column written by Dr. Kevin Chan, Niagara Health's Chief of Staff and Executive Vice-President, Medical Affairs, originally published in the Niagara Dailies.
There has been ongoing concern in Fort Erie and Port Colborne about the planned closure of the urgent care centres when Niagara Health opens the new south Niagara hospital in 2028.
As a physician, I understand the worry behind those conversations. Our community members want to know that care is available when they need it.
But when it comes to urgent care, we need to talk honestly about what these centres are — and what they are not. The confusion presents a serious risk to the health and well-being of residents.
UCCs are not emergency departments. They are not equipped or staffed to handle life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes or major trauma. In those moments, assuming a UCC can provide emergency-level care can have devastating consequences. Emergencies are always transferred from the UCCs to fully-equipped emergency departments.
I’ve heard the stories — people who say they wouldn’t be here today without the care they received at their local UCC. Those moments are meaningful, and I don’t question the dedication of the staff who were there to help.
As a pediatric emergency physician, I can unequivocally say a UCC cannot provide care for appendicitis. The patient may have been diagnosed in the UCC, but then the child was sent to a surgeon who could treat an appendicitis. The patient with a heart attack may have been diagnosed at a UCC, but definitive care requires a cardiologist with the right level of equipment — which is not available at a UCC. Outcomes are best when definitive care is provided in a timely fashion in the right place.
Those individuals were lucky. And when it comes to emergency care, no system should rely on luck.
Viewing UCCs as if they are a substitute for emergency care sends the wrong message to the public. It creates the impression help is close by in a crisis when, in fact, the level of care required in a true emergency isn’t available at those sites. In a medical emergency, calling 911 remains the fastest and safest option. Paramedics are trained to assess and transport patients to the right care, without delay.
Some people argue closing UCCs will increase pressure on our EDs, but the opposite is true. Most of the care provided in UCCs can and should be handled in primary care settings, where people can receive ongoing care and follow up. The solution isn’t to expand urgent care — it’s to strengthen access to family doctors, nurse practitioners, walk-in clinics and team-based care, especially in communities that need it most.
This isn’t about taking something away, it’s about evolving the system to provide safer, more reliable care. With limited health human resources, including doctors, we must prioritize investments that deliver the most impact. That includes new models of care closer to home — and a new hospital that will bring expanded services, including a bigger emergency department, under one roof.
Physician shortages across Ontario — including here in Niagara — have made it increasingly difficult to staff UCCs. The reality is this model is not sustainable, and it is our responsibility to make sure the public understands the risks of holding on to it.
We hear and respect the voices calling for local access. But our job is to make decisions based on what is safe, effective and sustainable hospital care for the entire region — now and into the future. Keeping underused or under-resourced services open based solely on geography comes at a cost to care access across the system.
