Emergency Department Pressures at Local Hospitals; Longer Waits for Care

Windsor Regional Hospital and Erie Shores HealthCare, in conjunction with Essex-Windsor EMS, are once again alerting the public about capacity pressures across the acute care system in our region.

On April 13, a news release was issued noting that hospitals and EMS were reporting significant bed capacity concerns due to higher than normal volumes of patients. The pressures have continued and we are reminding the public to seek care where possible, for non-emergency needs, at community settings, such as their family doctor or local medical clinic, to help alleviate strain on the system. Information regarding potential non-emergency options are listed here: Windsor Regional Hospital - ED Alternatives (wrh.on.ca). If you are unsure whether you require emergency or urgent care, please visit the Essex-Windsor EMS Make The Right Call web page for helpful information.

Although emergency cases are always attended to rapidly and receive immediate medical treatment, patients should expect that wait times and treatment for any ailments other than emergencies will be much longer than usual, as they have been for the past several weeks. Ambulance response times for non-emergency situations may also be longer than usual.

We must work to preserve capacity in our healthcare system for patients. Our local partners will continue to collaborate to ensure our regional system is able to handle an influx of patients that will challenge our capacity to ensure timely access to care.