Hospitals see surge in non-covid ER visits
As pandemic restrictions loosen and residents feel more comfortable leaving home, local hospitals are seeing a surge in emergency department visits.
Reasons range from sports-related injuries to those who have put off seeking medical treatment for more than a year now.
"I think if we could've seen the doctors, I would've been healed a lot quicker," says Sutton resident Jim Stevens.
Stevens is one of hundreds of patients only now walking into the emergency department at Southlake in Newmarket needing a CT scan after putting off trips to the walk-in clinic and hospital for months as COVID-19 cases surged.
"And I think that's what happened to me as a lot of the doctors couldn't see me. It was over-the-phone consultations."
Health officials at Southlake Regional Health Centre say what they're seeing are people who were afraid to go to the emergency room over the last 13 to 14 months, and now they're coming in sicker, and they're coming in droves.
"We definitely see a big surge in the early afternoon right through to right around 10ish at night," says the director of Mental Health and Emergency Department, Elizabeth Lalingo.
While Some patients are still unable to see their family doctors, they're now seeking medical treatment at their local emergency department. Now patients are waiting longer than usual, as staffing levels remain about the same or stretched thin.
"The critical nursing shortage that we're seeing now, and we're going to continue to see in the future, is making it really challenging to ramp up our staffing," says the emergency and medicine director of critical care at Stevenson Memorial Hospital, Mary-Beth Hennin.
"We're doing the best we can, but often we're running short on nursing in our emerg department,"
The health care system is already facing a backlog of thousands of surgical procedures due to mandated pauses during the pandemic, and local hospitals are seeing a 25 to 40 per cent increase in emergency department visits.
In some cases, patients find themselves waiting several hours to be treated as staff try to catch up.
"Everyone is seeing the same exact pressures with staffing issues as well as volume increases which is mismatched significantly and wait times increasing because of that, so that fourth wave we feel is here in the emergency department," says RVH emergency department manager Sharon Ramagnano.
Understanding the frustration that comes with waiting for hours in your local emergency department, staff at RVH are asking visitors to be patient to ensure anyone who needs medical attention can get it.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
BREAKING Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.