A “perfect storm” of sorts has settled in at Guelph General Hospital (GGH), as the emergency department continues to see higher than normal numbers, with at least one official not seeing an end in sight.
“We really are at a gridlock point,” said Melissa Skinner, vice-president of patient services and chief nursing executive, explaining all beds are full and some patients are being kept in hallways in order to accommodate as many as possible. “It’s really tight.”
In combination with other hospitals throughout the area, GGH issued a tweet on Tuesday afternoon advising of the high volume of people seeking care and explaining they will be seen on a priority basis, so less urgent cases will experience a “much longer” wait.
We are prioritizing seeing the sickest people first. The wait time for less urgent cases is much longer than we would like. We are doing our best so please be patient and kind to our hardworking and dedicated staff. pic.twitter.com/ddPkNgpJkJ
— GuelphGeneralHosp (@GuelphGeneral) October 4, 2022
There are several factors at play, Skinner believes. That includes an increased number of people seeking care, with greater needs – possibly due to delays in people seeking treatment during the pandemic – medical staffing shortages and the aging population.
“We’re not able to move patients through the system,” she said, “I think we have a perfect storm.
“I truly don’t see an end in the foreseeable future.”
As a result of the increased demand, Skinner explained there have been a variety of role changes and medical personnel are seeking out creative solutions to finding space and providing care.
“Every part of the system is trying its best,” she said. “This is a sign of a system under intense stress.”
It took over 10 hours to see a doctor in #Guelph at @GuelphGeneral #ER. 10 hours of sitting in small trailer knowing that if my wife did have a heart attack there would be permanent damage and potential death. 10 hours of misery and everyone around us was in pain and suffering.
— Alex (@Alex4ndrei) October 5, 2022
The “new normal” is for there to be about a dozen patients waiting for care at the emergency department in the early evening, but that swelled to about 24 on Tuesday, Skinner noted.
While internal efforts are being made to address the situation now, long-term fixes to the system could take years to see results, the vice-president of patient services said, pointing to the length of time it takes to train medical staff and the aging population.
In the meantime, she urges people coming into the emergency department to be patient.
“It’s about asking our community to work with us and not against us,” Skinner said, acknowledging a general sense of frustration in the community brought on by the increased cost of living and other stress. “We’re doing the best with what we have.
“We just ask for patience and kindness and understanding.”
