Emergency department performance at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital is to get “an independent, focused operational assessment” aimed at “immediate corrective action”, the Ministry of Health has announced.

The “formal” directive to the Bermuda Hospitals Board to take on an external provider for the review came days after Edward Schultz, a former Chief of Emergency Services, went public with calls for a commission of inquiry to look into longstanding “critical” overcrowding and other problems threatening patient safety.

The ministry statement referenced “issues related to patient flow and bed boarding” driving delays and strain on staff and services, and said BHB had been given seven days to produce an initial update on the scope, methodology and leadership of the review.

Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, said the Government expected a “clear operational response” to address challenges as “a matter of urgency”.

She said pressures on critical frontline service required “focused and immediate action” to identify practical, short‑term remedies.

The ministry said the review, to come with a defined time frame, would examine the movement of patients through the Emergency Department, factors behind prolonged bed boarding, management of bed capacity and discharge processes, along with any practices influencing overall performance.

Ms Wilson added: “We expect clear findings, practical recommendations and prompt implementation.” She said the Government would monitor progress “closely”.