Hospital overcrowding continues to be a challenge for South Shore Health. C-E-O Alice Leverman says it has been a very busy week with anywhere from 6 to 10 people waiting in Emergency for a bed. She says there's usually a spike in the early morning Leverman says while the opening of new long term care beds has provided some relief, the situation is difficult to predict because it's dependent on a lot of factors. She says overcrowding is expected to be an ongoing challenge due to the age and health status of the population. Since the opening of Ryan Hall on May 19th, 19 alternate level of care patients have been moved from hospital into long term care facilities. A total of 28 additional long term and residential care beds are scheduled to open in Lunenburg County over the next few months. Leverman says hospital overcrowding causes a lot of concern and frustration for patients and families. They may experience delays in admission, long wait or transfers to another hospital for care. Surgeries may also be cancelled. Leverman says it also creates a stressful working environment for staff.