Ballooning emergency department wait times becoming a seasonal norm

Lengthy waits at emergency departments (ED) at Ontario hospitals are nothing new and in fact most people who visit a hospital expect a wait of several hours.

Earlier this week, Grand River and St. Mary’s General hospitals posted a warning on their websites saying increased patient volumes are leading to extended wait times.

Brandon Douglas, vice president of patient care at St. Mary’s General and Grand River Hospitals told 570 NewsRadio the additional number of patients can vary.

“Depending on the day, over the last two weeks, we’re seeing anywhere between a five and ten per cent increase in volume,” he said. “Depending on the site, because Grand River usually sees more volume than St. Mary’s, but that’s on average anywhere between 15 to 30 patients every day.”

Douglas said that doesn’t sound like a lot of people but when you factor in the time it takes to treat the additional patients, it can add hours to the wait.

It’s somewhat of a perfect storm that has led to the delays. Douglas points to the fact we’re just entering peak respiratory illness season. Many people attended holiday gatherings where germs were spread and many primary care offices were closed over the holidays, pushing more people to seek care at the hospital.

Douglas said regardless of why it is happening, people need to expect they will have to wait for care.

“A lot of patients have a misunderstanding that it’s first come-first serve. So, it’s really a reminder that folks will have to wait a little longer because of the busyness and to be patient and kind to staff as we work through the volume.”

He noted that patients are seen based on the severity of their illness or injury and non-emergency cases might have to wait between four and six hours to see a doctor.

But Douglas says there are options to avoid a visit to the ED at knowyourcareoptions.ca.