Niagara Health is announcing schedule changes at the Fort Erie and Port Colborne Urgent Care Centres (UCCs) due to a critical shortage of available physicians. These changes are a measure of last resort, necessary to preserve safe, 24/7 operations at our Emergency Departments (EDs) in Niagara Falls, Welland and St. Catharines.
Effective as of July 1,
-
Both UCCs will face closures throughout July, August and into early September.
-
Fort Erie closures will take place on Fridays and Port Colborne on Saturdays.
-
Both UCCs will be closed on Canada Day (July 1) and Labour Day long weekend (August 30 September 1)
-
Fort Erie UCC will also close for the Civic Holiday long weekend (August 1–4)
“We know these closures are frustrating and concerning for the communities affected. They are not decisions we make lightly,” said Dr. Kevin Chan, Chief of Staff and Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs at Niagara Health. “This is the minimum level of closure required to maintain emergency care across the region.”
The decision was made at the recommendation of our Emergency Department leadership and with the approval of Niagara Health’s Board of Directors, following extensive efforts to avoid disruption.
Despite exhaustive efforts — including financial incentives, direct outreach to local physicians, targeted recruitment campaigns and flexible scheduling — Niagara Health continues to face 111 unfilled physician shifts across all sites this summer. More than half of these are at the Marotta Family Hospital ED, with most of the remainder at the Niagara Falls Hospital ED.
“These are Niagara’s busiest and most acute care centres, receiving the highest volumes of ambulance arrivals and serving the sickest patients in the region,” said Dr. Rafi Setrak, Niagara Health chief of Emergency Medicine. “Prioritizing our Emergency Departments in Niagara Falls, Welland and St. Catharines is essential to maintaining region-wide access to emergency services.”
Providing the public with a predictable closure schedule ensures patients and families can make informed decisions about where to seek care. This approach supports patient safety and helps avoid last-minute, disruptive cancellations.
While physician shortages are a province-wide and global challenge, Niagara’s situation is made more difficult by the lack of access to primary care in Fort Erie and Port Colborne. Many residents rely on UCCs for concerns that could be better managed in a primary care setting — if that access existed.
“This isn’t just about urgent care — it’s about access to care, period,” said Dr. Chan. “The sustainable solution is team-based primary care in every community. Until that’s in place, hospitals are left managing system gaps with limited resources.”
