Bermuda Blood Donor Centre marks World Blood Donor Day with a call to donate

Thursday 11 June 2026: Ahead of World Blood Donor Day on Sunday 14 June, Bermuda Hospitals Board’s Blood Donor Centre is appealing to the public to become blood donors.

BHB Chief of Pathology and consultant haematologist Dr Eyitayo Fakunle said: “World Blood Donor Day 2026 is a reminder that something as simple as donating blood can mean everything to someone else. This year’s theme, ‘One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.’ speaks to the kindness and compassion shown by ordinary people who choose to help others through blood donation.

“Blood donation is not only important during times of crisis or disaster. Hospitals need blood every single day. Regular, voluntary donors help ensure that safe blood is always available when patients need it most.”

Minister of Health Kim Wilson praised participants in the annual Corporate Blood Drive competition, who helped replenish the blood supply throughout the past year, saying: “I commend the contribution made by [winner] Conduit Re and extend my appreciation to all 21 companies that participated in this year’s Corporate Blood Drive. Your collective efforts have played a vital role in maintaining Bermuda’s blood supply and supporting the patients who depend on it.

“Each donation represents a meaningful act of service to our community, and I am grateful to every employee who chose to give.”

Dr Fakunle added: “As we mark World Blood Donor Day, we encourage everyone who can to consider becoming a regular blood donor and to encourage family and friends to do the same. This strengthens our blood services, ensuring that safe blood remains accessible to every patient who depends on it.

“To us, each of our donors is a hero and we thank them all. Their kindness, generosity and willingness to give truly make a difference. One drop really can save lives.”

Why donate?

• Blood donation is a safe, comfortable and highly effective way to help treat many different medical conditions and save lives.
• All donated blood and blood products are used in Bermuda, and in Bermuda 100% of our blood is from voluntary donations from residents. This is how we look out for each other!
• Blood donation takes about half an hour.
• Donations made now can replenish low supplies and prepare the hospital for upcoming needs, so it is there for emergencies as well as planned treatments.
• You can relax while you donate! We have comfortable blood donation chairs with a specially warmed blanket, and we’ll serve you refreshments and cookies at the end.

Join Us and Save Lives

We encourage you to:

• Book an appointment by calling 236-5067, WhatsApp 533-9553 or email blood.donor@bhb.bm.
• Donate as a group (if you prefer). The Bermuda Is Love community activist group organises a blood drive every month and would love you to join them. Visit bermudaislove.com for dates and to register. Or you can organise your own group and make it a fun event.
• Spread the word. You may inspire someone else to donate.

If you’re healthy, over 18 (or 17 with parental consent) and meet general donation guidelines, you could be someone’s hero. Check out the blood donation criteria at bermudahospitals.bm/be-a-donor/.

BHB changes lab testing policy to support sustainable healthcare

Monday 8 June 2026: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) today announces updates to its laboratory testing policy. The changes are designed to improve coordination of laboratory services across the island, reduce unnecessary expenses and support the long-term sustainability of Bermuda’s healthcare system.

Effective 3 August 2026, the BHB laboratory will continue to support private laboratories and physicians’ offices by accepting requests for tests that can be performed at BHB. However, the laboratory will no longer accept requests from external providers for tests that cannot be performed at BHB and require overseas processing.

BHB will only accept tests to be sent overseas when they are ordered by BHB physicians or Government clinics.

“Like many countries around the world, we are facing increasing demand for services and rising healthcare costs,” said Morrisa Rogers, BHB’s director of clinical support services. “These changes are intended to ensure laboratory resources are used appropriately, reduce unnecessary duplication of services, and allow us to focus our efforts on delivering high-quality care to patients.”

Chief of Staff Anna Neilson-Williams said: “The updated policy is part of a broader effort to ensure Bermuda’s healthcare resources are being used effectively and responsibly. By improving how laboratory services are coordinated and delivered, we can better support patient care while managing costs.”

Acting Chief Executive Officer Judy Richardson emphasised the importance of system-wide collaboration, saying: “The changes will strengthen coordination between providers and support a more efficient healthcare system. Ensuring laboratory services remain accessible, clinically appropriate and financially sustainable helps maintain access to essential testing for patients who need it most.

“BHB is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers, Government clinics and community partners to deliver safe, effective, evidence-based care.”

Information about BHB’s laboratory services can be found on the BHB website at bermudahospitals.bm under Departments & Services.

Joint Statement by BHB and Ministry of Health: Update on Emergency Department patient flow and bed capacity management

Tuesday 2 June 2026: The Ministry of Health and the Bermuda Hospitals Board are providing an update on ongoing work to improve patient flow, reduce Emergency Department overcrowding, and strengthen Bermuda’s acute and long-term care capacity. This update forms part of the shared commitment to keep the public informed as progress continues, particularly at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Bermuda’s only emergency department.

BHB has set a clear operational target of six hours for Emergency Department (ED) boarding, which is the time between the decision to admit a patient and their transfer to an inpatient bed. This benchmark is consistent with the standard used by the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and is the primary measure of ED flow.

Hallway care, delayed discharges, and lost acute care bed days all affect how many inpatient beds are available. Because they are connected, these issues are managed together under the boarding target. Bermuda faces a special challenge: King Edward VII Memorial Hospital is the country’s only emergency department, and there are no other local facilities where patients can be sent instead.

For admitted patients, time in the Emergency Department has two parts: the time it takes to reach a decision to admit, and the time spent boarding until an inpatient bed becomes available. As of May 2026, admitted patients waited a median of about five hours for a decision to admit, followed by a further median of about twenty hours boarding. This resulted in a typical total of roughly twenty-four hours in the ED before transferring to a ward. While this remains above the six hour target, boarding times have improved meaningfully over the past several months. Most patients who are not admitted continue to be treated and discharged within a median of under four hours.

A review of 29,512 ED encounters between April 2025 and March 2026 found that roughly 25 to 35 percent of patients, about 20 to 28 patients per day, could have potentially been treated in primary or community care settings. This work supports ongoing efforts to strengthen primary care access and reduce avoidable ED demand.

Since the introduction of the Bed Capacity Management Plan, BHB has seen measurable improvements. Median boarding time has dropped from around fifty hours earlier in 2026 to around twenty hours in May 2026, a reduction of about sixty percent. ED overcrowding has eased as a result, supported by enhanced discharge processes and the use of the new discharge lounge.

Performance still varies week to week, and boarding remains above target. The progress to date reflects the commitment of clinical teams and the coordinated approach between BHB and the Ministry of Health. To support long-term system sustainability, BHB will be adding thirty long-term care beds at MWI. This is part of the broader strategy to address the projected need for approximately 365 skilled nursing facility beds by 2035. In addition, a robust and expedited procurement process for the independent review of ED access is nearing completion.

Although an external reviewer has not yet been appointed, the process is actively progressing under the governance oversight of the Chairman of the Bermuda Hospitals Board. Updates will be provided at appropriate stages to ensure transparency while protecting the independence and integrity of the review.

As of 1 June 2026, forty-one patients who are medically fit for discharge were occupying acute care beds. Their median length of stay to date is about seventy three days, with an average of about one hundred and eleven days. Seventeen patients with stays of ninety days or longer account for seventy eight percent of all bed days used by this group. These patients are predominantly older adults, with a median age of seventy four, and require skilled nursing or long term care placement, which is the main reason for the delay. Work continues across the system to support timely and appropriate placement options.

The Minister of Health The Hon. Kim Wilson said: “The progress we are seeing is the result of strong collaboration between BHB and the Ministry, and I want to acknowledge the dedication of the teams who are working every day to improve patient flow and strengthen the system. While there is more work ahead, we are encouraged by the improvements already achieved and remain committed to supporting BHB as they continue this important work.”

The Acting CEO of BHB Ms. Judy Richardson added: “Our staff have been working extremely hard to improve the experience for patients and families, and the reduction in boarding times reflects that effort. We appreciate the Ministry’s ongoing support as we continue to implement the Bed Capacity Management Plan and expand long-term care capacity. We are committed to building on this progress and ensuring that patients receive timely, safe, and appropriate care.”

BHB, with the full support of the Ministry of Health, remains committed to reducing ED boarding times, improving patient flow, expanding long-term care capacity, strengthening primary and community care pathways, and maintaining transparency as this work continues.