Durham Region emergency room wait times soar amid staffing shortages

Emergency departments in Durham Region join a growing list of Ontario hospitals experiencing staffing shortages and high volumes of patients.

A joint statement from Lakeridge Health and Durham paramedics warns the issue is leading to much longer wait times for less acute patients, while also affecting how quickly paramedics are able to offload ambulances at hospitals.

According to Lakeridge Health’s emergency department wait time tracker, people could expect to wait over three at all four locations as of Monday morning.

The four hospitals under the Lakeridge umbrella include Oshawa, Ajax/Pickering, Bowmanville and Port Perry. The highest wait time according to the tracker was at the Oshawa and Port Perry hospitals with average wait times of five hours or more.

“All people who arrive who are experiencing life-threatening conditions and/or are in a situation that poses a sudden threat to life are cared for immediately,” reads the statement from Lakeridge Health and Region of Durham Paramedic Services (RDPS).

Related:

• Children’s hospitals overwhelmed by early virus season surge

The statement lists life-threatening conditions to include “unconsciousness, trouble breathing, lack of pulse, chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath or dizziness, severe bleeding, and other serious trauma or conditions.”

Residents with non-urgent medical care needs are being asked to consider other options, including urgent care centres or walk-in clinics. A list of urgent care options can be found here.

The number of patients waiting in Ontario has increased drastically this year, with a number of hospitals being forced to close emergency departments several times over the summer.

On Thursday, staff at University Health Network hospitals received an alert asking doctors to consider alternatives to the emergency department.