People waiting too long in the ER
Posted June 21, 2011 11:16 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Canada’s health-care system gets a passing grade for reducing wait times in some areas, but thousands of patients are still waiting too long in the emergency room.
Wait times for that service are getting longer and will only get worse as baby boomers continue to age. Those findings come in the latest report from the Wait Time Alliance.
“A national standardized approach to reporting should be put in place so that all Canadians can have better information on wait times,” says Dr. Lorne Bellan with the WTA.
Bellan adds wait times are down slightly for diagnostic imaging, joint replacement, sight restoration, cancer treatment and cardiac care. She says one in six hospital beds are filled by patients who should be treated elsewhere.
“[Things such as] rehabilitative care, home care, or long-term care. The inability of these patients to access more appropriate types of care restricts access to hospital beds for emergency department patients and patients scheduled for elective surgery.”
Bellan explains there is some good news. “We are seeing progress on how the provinces are collecting and publicly reporting wait time data. One of the major accomplishments is that all provinces now have a wait time website.”
She explains home and family caregiver plans are good ways of taking pressure off hospitals.
