Ottawa asks Ontario government for help to clear emergency room backlogs for paramedics
Ottawa’s mayor is asking Ontario's minister of health to take action to clear emergency room backlogs so the city’s paramedics can return to service faster.
Mayor Jim Watson and Coun. Matthew Luloff have sent a letter to Health Minister Christine Elliott asking for a “coordinated and innovated approach” to solving paramedic offload delay issues in Ottawa hospitals.
"We are asking you to lead the coordination of stakeholders, including local hospitals, to implement additional strategies to improve offload performance and, at a minimum, meet the benchmark for transfer of care at 30 minutes at the 90th percentile," said the letter released on Friday afternoon.
The letter comes after the Ottawa Paramedic Service experienced several "Level Zero" instances during the Christmas holidays as COVID-19 cases increased and hospitals dealt with staff shortages.
The Ottawa Paramedic Service experienced 750 "Level Zero" instances in 2021, meaning there was a critical shortage of ambulances available within the Ottawa Paramedic Service to answer calls.
Watson and Luloff says every day Ottawa paramedics are delayed by area hospitals in transferring the care of patients from paramedics to hospital staff.
"This longstanding issue has only been exacerbated by COVID," said the letter. "Hospital offload delay has a significant impact on the Ottawa Paramedic Service's ability to respond to calls and comply with legislated response time standards."
The letter acknowledges the Ministry of Health has made efforts recently to increase hospital capacity.
"However, Ottawa is looking for long-term, sustainable solutions to address the chronic and systemic issue of offload delay in our city. It is also important that the additional hospital capacity be directed to efforts to improve offload delays."
The 2021 budget included hiring 14 new paramedics, and 14 new paramedics are part of the 2022 city of Ottawa budget.
"Despite these investments, the Ottawa Paramedic Service is unable to improve service coverage as paramedics are stuck in emergency departments due to offload delays," said Watson and Luloff.
The Ottawa Paramedic Service has implemented several initiatives to proactively relieve pressure on the broader healthcare system and assist hospitals, including paramedicine programs.
Last month, the Queensway Carleton Hospital and Ottawa Paramedics launched a new initiative to mitigate offload delays and to enhance the level of service. An Ottawa paramedic will be stationed in the Queensway Carleton Hospital emergency department every evening, where they will monitor up to three patients during their shift so paramedics can return to service.
Watson and Luloff say the city of Ottawa is "seeking" Elliott's leadership to tackle a "coordinated and innovated approach to this persistent bottleneck in our health care system."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.