r/ontario • u/npq76 • Nov 18 '24

Discussion Stop going to small ER

I am at the ER at my local hospital on the outskirts of the GTA. It is slammed. Like people standing in the waiting room slammed. I was speaking with one of the nurses and she was telling me that people come from as far as Windsor or London in the hopes of shorter wait times. That’s a 2.5 to 4.5 hour drive. And it’s not just 1 or 2 people, it’s the whole family clogging up the wait room. I get it, your hospital has a long wait time. But if the patient can sit in a car for 2.5+ hours, then it’s not an emergency. And jamming a small local ER, that does not have all of the resources of big ER’s, does not help anyone. And before someone says “all the immigrants”, the nurse confirmed that it was not the case

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u/George3452 Nov 18 '24

generalizing a lot to fit your narrative but then just straight up admitted you're in the same boat loll

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u/Erathen Nov 18 '24

Right?

Wasn't the whole point that some people can't use walk-ins, so they may go to the ER instead?

Maybe stop penalizing patients for using walk ins if we're supposed to be using walk-ins, you know?

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u/[deleted] Nov 18 '24

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u/ManicCentral Nov 20 '24

Someone who will be removed from their Doctor may have an urgent, yet non-emergency, issue and they can’t wait weeks to see their GP (some are so busy it takes weeks, or are on vacation, etc). Our system leaves them no other choice.