Province Injects $142 Million Into ERs

The provincial government has devoted $142 million to improving the state of hospital emergency rooms across Ontario.

According to Health Minister George Smitherman the three-point plan addresses issues of money for doctors’ salaries, how to make ERs more efficient, and how to reduce wait times.

“The McGuinty government recognizes that hospital emergency departments do not operate in isolation from our health care system,” said Smitherman.

“Today’s announcement will not only help ensure emergency rooms stay open, but reflects our belief that building capacity in the health care system will address many of the challenges facing emergency departments and allow them to respond effectively and efficiently to patient needs.”

The planned improvements, which also include improving services on weekends and holidays, are based on recommendations from a committee made up of government officials and representatives from the Ontario Medical Association.

The Liberals have been criticized in recent weeks over challenges in hospital emergency rooms across the province, prompting McGuinty to say he would “leave no stone unturned” to resolve the situation.

In the worst cases, some hospitals pondered shutting their doors due to doctor and bed shortages. At Kitchener’s Grand River hospital some ER doctors refused to work out of exhaustion and patient safety concerns.

And in Cambridge, Ont., a hospital brought in a private company to ease its emergency room staffing problems.

The plan will reportedly address the bed shortage issue with the construction of 1,750 new and the replacement of 662 long-term care beds.

“Pressures on our hospitals and emergency rooms have been ongoing challenges for some time,” said Smitherman. “The strategy I am announcing today will put our health care system on a better path to provide timely and responsive services to Ontarians.”

Conservative Leader John Tory argued before the plan’s release that it must look at ways to both improve conditions and clear beds in other parts of hospitals in order to accommodate demand.

“(Smitherman) has to address ways in which we can attract and retain more professionals — nurses and doctors — into those emergency rooms and make sure they’re not asked to work intolerable conditions,” Tory said.

“The worst fears of the professionals out there…is he will cherry-pick and pick one or two things and say that’s solved it.”

New Democrat Shelley Martel feels home-care services should be improved so people aren’t forced to stay in hospitals unnecessarily and supports a pay increase for emergency room physicians.

The three-point Emergency Department Action Plan includes:

• $13.2 million to retain and recruit emergency room physicians and launch pilot projects to add physician assistants and nurse practitioners to emergency rooms.

• $76.8 million to create a “Better Access to Emergency Care Fund”, which will reduce emergency room waiting times and improve working conditions for frontline health care workers; enhance critical care capacity in hospitals; and provide $10 million for small and rural hospitals and $30 million to hospitals in areas of high population growth to improve their capacity.

• $52.4 million to support current community-based services and provide more services in the community.

More highlights of the plan, courtesy Government of Ontario:

Physicians:

• $11.2 million will fund an agreement between the Ontario Medical Association and the ministry. The agreement will ensure stable physician coverage and includes the following key elements
• Premiums to provide 24/7 Emergency Department (ED) coverage, including seasonal variations and holiday periods
• New recruitment program for EDs
• A new provincial program to provide local coverage in EDs
• New education programs to help family physicians, nurses and others upgrade their skills to work in the ED
• Allow and support physicians in-training with licenses to work in EDs.
• $2 million to launch pilot projects in six communities as part of the HealthForceOntario strategy, where physician assistants and nurse practitioners will be deployed to work in EDs.
• The six pilot locations will be established at: Brockville General Hospital, Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Guelph General Hospital, Quinte Health Care – Trenton Site, Sault Area Hospital and Timmins and District Hospital.
• A physician assistant is an innovative new health care professional role that assists supervising physicians to deliver medical services, such as conducting patient interviews, histories, physical examinations; performing selected diagnostic and therapeutic interventions; ordering and interpreting patient laboratory and radiological results; and counselling patients on preventative health care.

Facilities:

• $35 Million Emergency Room Access Fund
• ED Support Fund – $10 million fund to which hospitals can apply for initiatives that support EDs, such as faster access to diagnostic services.
• Emergency Room Process Improvement – $15 million dollars has been allocated among all hospitals in Ontario to facilitate improvements in emergency room procedures.
• Critical Care Beds – $7.5 million for additional critical care beds under the Critical Care Strategy to relieve pressures in ED’s in high acuity centres. These beds will ensure that critically ill patients flow through the ED to the appropriate intensive care or critical care unit.
• $2.5 million for Emergency Department Coaching Teams and an Emergency Department Flow Toolkit to help hospitals identify and attend to areas where ED operations can be improved.
• $1.8 million to fund five additional Critical Care Response Teams (CCRTs) in Ontario.
• $10 million for small and rural hospitals to maintain core services to support emergency care for these hospitals and their communities.
• $30 million for hospitals in high population growth areas to help sustain services including emergency care.

Community Resources:

• $8.8 million base funding investment will benefit each of the 54 existing CHCs and 10 Satellite CHCs. The funding will allow the CHC sector to hire more than 50 new staff including physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, community health workers, health promoters and other health professionals, leading to increased access to primary care for clients.
• $5.3 million initial investment that will be part of a multi-year strategy to address pressures in communities experiencing the most serious long-term care and community care pressures.
• $8.3 million under the Diabetes Care Strategy is being allocated to create 33 Diabetes Education Teams.
• $30 million in funding for Community Care Access Centres so they may better serve the needs of their clients and provide services that most appropriately meet their needs and allow people to remain safely, comfortably and independently in their homes longer.

For the complete plan, click here.

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