Island Health has launched the Virtual On-Demand Urgent Psychiatry service, to provide adult emergency patients in five rural and remote community hospitals with evening and weekend access to psychiatric consultation through secure virtual technology, improving timely access to mental health care.
The service is referral based and operates from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and statutory holidays. It became fully operational at all five locations on March 31, 2025, serving West Coast General Hospital, Tofino General Hospital, Port Hardy Hospital, Port McNeill Hospital, and Lady Minto Hospital on Salt Spring Island.
To learn more, check out Virtual psychiatry service brings timely mental health care to rural communities | Island Health