Patients leaving overcrowded Nova Scotia ER without being seen: managers
An emailed letter to staff of a Halifax-area hospital says that the pressure on the emergency room has risen to the point where there's no space to assess patients and one in 10 people aren't seen before they give up and leave.
Two managers at the Dartmouth General Hospital say in the statement obtained by The Canadian Press that influenza and respiratory syncytial virus are combining with other factors to block the flow of patients through the ER.
The email was sent Thursday to a long list of managers in advance of a virtual town hall meeting of hospital staff to be "hosted by site co-leads" on Monday.
It says "there is nowhere to assess patients" entering the hospital's emergency system, and adds -- underlined and in bold -- that "patients are dying in the waiting rooms" at Dartmouth General Hospital as well as other sites.
Nova Scotia Health spokesman Brendan Elliott said in an interview the agency wished to clarify nobody has died in the waiting room, but rather the managers meant patients' health was "growing significantly worse" as they waited for long periods to be seen.
"We cannot provide additional information for privacy reasons. The statement 'as well as other sites,' refers to media reports of incidents in other parts of Canada," added Elliott.
While it is well known that emergency rooms have been crowded and struggling to cope -- as reported by Nova Scotia Health's own online monitoring system -- it is rare for managers to make such blunt statements of the problems in the province's hospitals.
The letter thanks staff for their efforts coping with the exhausting pace of recent weeks and notes 10 per cent of emergency department patients are "leaving without being seen, including patients with chest pain and sepsis (the body's response to a strong infection)."
It also says the ambulance system is backed up, as paramedics must remain with patients in hallways, creating "several-hour wait times" to respond to 911 calls.
The email says that several steps are being taken to reduce the waiting times at the emergency room, including the cancellation of surgeries over the past week "outside of cases that are considered the highest need."
According to the note, the hospital has also opened up an additional space in a new wing of the hospital to handle overflow from the emergency room.
However, the email says despite these and other measures, the emergency department is struggling to ensure timely access to care.
It says, "last weekend we were in a situation where the emergency department had no capacity to respond to resuscitation if needed," and there are shortages of staff to cope with overflow areas.
"Given this, we feel that as a potential next step we may need to consider placing patients in hallways 24 hours a day," the note says.
"We know this is not ideal, but nothing is ideal in these circumstances, especially for our patients and the community when there are no emergency services ... to respond."
The note was signed by the hospital's health services director, Lori Sanderson, and its director of medicine, Dr. Natalie Cheng.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Party's over: Coyotes play final game as Arizona franchise before move to Salt Lake City
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.