Janet Bedford
Emergency Waiting Room
The province is trying to reduce wait times in emergency departments across the province. With an additional investment of $44 million this year, 165 high-volume and smaller emergency departments will receive funding to improve access to timely care for residents. Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital will receive $1,470,700 of the $3.7 million allocated to Halton Healthcare.
Ontario already invests $90 million annually to support emergency departments in implementing innovative solutions to reduce wait times. These solutions include hiring more healthcare staff, improving patient transportation, and creating additional beds. The government aims to ensure that individuals needing urgent medical attention promptly receive the care they require.
Minister's Statement Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, emphasized the importance of providing quick attention to individuals experiencing a medical emergency. By providing more funding to hospitals that have successfully reduced wait times, the government is facilitating faster emergency care delivery to communities.
Hospitals can decide how to allocate the funding to address local challenges and enhance the speed at which patients receive care. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this funding led to a 12.2% decrease in the average time spent in emergency departments.
Ontario is investing an additional $29 million in 75 high-volume emergency departments across the province to build on the existing success. This investment aims to expand their capacity and reduce waiting times for patients. Furthermore, $15 million will extend the funding eligibility to smaller hospitals. This will support up to 90 hospitals with fewer than 30,000 annual patient visits, enabling them to hire and retain the necessary staff to keep their emergency departments open.
Local impact of additional funding
Halton Healthcare, one of the healthcare providers in Ontario, is set to receive $3.7 million in additional funding. Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) will receive a specific allocation of $1,470,700. While the exact distribution of the financing among participating emergency departments is yet to be determined, Halton Healthcare ensures transparency.
Halton Healthcare collectively shared the latest data on average wait times and patient visits for Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) and all three sites. The data for the period FY 2022-23 shows that the average time to physician initial assessment is 3.4 hours at OTMH and 2.5 hours across Halton Healthcare. Moreover, OTMH receives approximately 6,000 emergency department visits per month, while all three sites combined handle around 13,500 visits.
Strategies Implemented by Halton Healthcare
Halton Healthcare remains committed to continuously monitoring and reducing patient ED wait times. They have implemented several strategies, including:
- Consistent monitoring of wait times and initiation of surge protocols to ensure efficient patient flow
- Adapting physician and nurse schedules and staffing to match demand
- Surge protocols for Triage to address bottlenecks involving the deployment of additional nursing assistance
- Creation of a second zone within the ED to expedite patient care without waiting for available rooms/beds
- Remote Care monitoring services to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions
- Use the ED Wait Time Dashboard and ED Tracker to share wait times with patients and provide visual aids for resource deployment.
- Ongoing recruitment and retention efforts to maintain appropriate staffing levels for quality patient care
Exploring Alternative Healthcare Options
Halton Healthcare suggests that individuals consider alternative healthcare options if their conditions are not life-threatening. These options include:
- Contacting a family doctor or consulting with a pharmacist
- Visiting an urgent care center or walk-in clinic
- Connecting with a Registered Nurse through Health811, available 24/7
More information can be found on the Emergency Department and the Know Your Healthcare Options web pages. Halton Healthcare also encourages individuals to receive flu shots and appropriate COVID boosters.
