Halton Healthcare says they’re working to reduce ER wait times in Oakville, Milton, Georgetown

Halton Healthcare has responded to a report showing the vast differences in wait times at emergency departments at their hospitals in Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills.

The Auditor General’s annual report on emergency departments in Ontario showed Milton District Hospital has an average wait time of 1.5 hours. The average wait at Georgetown Hospital is an hour longer, at 2.5 hours while the longest wait in the region is at Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital at 3.3 hours, which ranks 119th out of the 124 hospitals listed in the province.

“Halton Healthcare welcomes the findings from the Auditor General’s report on Emergency Departments,” said a spokesperson for the organization.

“We are working hard to reduce Emergency Department wait times at all three hospital sites and are continuously engaged in activities to monitor and improve.”

In May, Halton Healthcare launched new protocols at Oakville hospital, and the average Emergency Department wait time was reduced to 2.4 hours, which is closer in line with the Ontario average.

In order to respond to the increasing need for emergency care in our community, Halton Healthcare said they use a number of strategies to improve ER wait times at all three sites such as:

• A continuous monitoring of wait times and initiation of protocols to promote the flow of patients through the department
• Remote care monitoring services for patients living in the community that can be safely supported within their home
• Collaborative EMS partnerships to streamline ambulance offload times
• Constant attention to recruitment and retention of staff and physicians to staff appropriately to ensure quality care for patients

To support patients and families seeking emergency medical care, Halton Healthcare shares the estimated wait times for all three hospitals on its website.

If patients or their family members have any questions or concerns about the care provided at our hospitals, we encourage them to contact our Patient Relations team and we will make every effort to resolve their issue.