Merritt hospital emergency room will close over Tuesday night

Merritt ER closed overnight

Photo: Castanet

The emergency room at Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt will be closed over Tuesday night.

In a news release issued Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., Interior Health said the temporary service disruption will be in effect immediately, and will continue until 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

“Patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops during this time,” IH said. “All other inpatient services will continue as normal at Nicola Valley Hospital.”

People in the community who need emergency care are advised to call 911. Those who aren’t sure if an emergency room visit is needed can call HealthLink BC at 911, or visit www.healthlinkbc.ca to access 24/7 health information.

Merritt’s emergency department has now been closed nine times so far in 2025. Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz recently said he was sending a $207,000 bill to Victoria for 39 nights of ER closures in 2023 and 2024.

IH recently stopped providing information about the reasons for temporary emergency room closures, but they are typically due to staffing shortages.