Paramedics waiting at least three hours to transfer some patients at Ottawa hospitals, officials say
Ontario paramedics say they are dealing with a health care crisis because of emergency room closures and health care staff shortages, creating a perfect storm for ambulance delays and roadblocks for timely access to care.
It means the public may have to wait longer for an ambulance in Ottawa.
"We now know that nine times out of ten, when paramedics take you to a hospital in Ottawa, it takes at least three hours to transfer care from paramedics to the hospital," said Michael Nolan, County of Renfrew Paramedic Service Chief.
Offload delays are up significantly and Chief Nolan says it means paramedics respond to fewer calls.
"When you go to a shift that’s say 12 hours and you can only help three or four patients during that shift, because it takes three or four hours for each call," said Nolan.
He says the off-load delays are leading to major delays on the job, including more "Level Zero" incidents. That is where there are no available ambulances to respond to calls.
"It truly is a health care crisis," said Nolan.
The Ontario Paramedic Association says the situation has been daunting for paramedics.
“We have seen an increase in level zeros in the last year, with a 200 per cent increase,” said Darryl Wilton of the Ontario Paramedic Association.
The Ontario Paramedic Association says there’s a number of factors behind the crisis, including the fact that more people are calling 911, more are accessing hospital emergency rooms, and there’s been hospital department closures as well as fewer health care staff on the job.
On July 21, the off-load delay for paramedics to transfer a patient into the care of staff at an Ottawa hospital emergency room was more than three hours for approximately 30 patients, according to the Ottawa Paramedic Service.
"Overall, yes the situation is getting worse,” said Pierre Poirier, Ottawa Paramedic Service Chief.
Ottawa paramedics have hired 28 paramedics this year. Poirier says 16 of those have gone through training and will be on the road over the next couple of weeks.
"We are not happy," said Wilton. “People are taking it out on paramedics and they’re expressing their frustrations with the delays."
In a statement to the Canadian Press, the Ontario Health Minister, Sylvia Jones, said that the province has added more than 10,500 health care workers to the system since the start of the pandemic. The Ministry of Health said the government’s most recent budget included $7 million in additional funding for a program that brings health care workers to help transfer ambulance patients to hospital care. The budget was presented in April but did not pass before the election.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack but the UN says no aid has entered
The Israeli military said Wednesday that it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, a key terminal for the entry of humanitarian aid that was closed over the weekend after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers nearby.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.