P.E.I.’s entire health-care system over capacity, hospitals facing increased wait times
Hospitals on Prince Edward Island are currently facing a crisis of overcapacity, resulting in long wait times in emergency rooms and a shortage of available beds, Health P.E.I. announced in a press release on Thursday. Dr. Ken Farion, the medical director of hospital services and patient flow, highlighted that emergency departments across the island, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, Prince County Hospital in Summerside, Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague, and Western Hospital in Alberton, are all struggling to cope with the increased demand.
Dr. Farion revealed that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital alone had admitted over 260 patients by Thursday morning, reaching its highest occupancy levels ever. This surge in patients has put a significant strain on the hospital’s resources, with more individuals waiting for beds than usual. The emergency department at the QEH typically accommodates up to 30 patients, but due to the current situation, it has exceeded capacity multiple times in the past week.
The escalating crisis has been exacerbated by the fact that patients with lower-priority issues are experiencing extensive wait times, with some waiting for more than 12 to 14 hours to receive care, especially during overnight shifts when staffing levels are reduced. Dr. Farion expressed concern about the situation and mentioned that daily meetings have been held to address the challenges faced by the healthcare system.
To address the issue, Health P.E.I. has implemented new measures, including the establishment of a Hospital Overcapacity Command Table to enhance patient flow. These measures involve prioritizing long-term care beds for hospitalized patients, increasing critical-care bed availability, expanding bed capacity beyond traditional spaces, streamlining discharge policies, coordinating transportation support for discharges, utilizing home-care services to expedite patient discharges, establishing dedicated discharge areas with specialized staffing, and reducing in-patient transition times.
Islanders are encouraged to seek alternative care options to alleviate the strain on acute-care hospitals. Health P.E.I. CEO Melanie Fraser emphasized the importance of providing high-quality care to patients despite the challenging circumstances. Dr. Farion advised individuals in need of medical attention to utilize expanded care services offered by pharmacies, the virtual healthcare platform Maple, family doctors, and walk-in clinics.
The crisis is expected to persist for several weeks, with the onset of cold and flu season likely to exacerbate the situation. Dr. Farion anticipates that the challenges may worsen before they improve and emphasized the need for patience as efforts are made to alleviate the strain on the healthcare system.
