Two hospitals in southern Ontario say they saw record numbers of patients this week.
Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa and Grand River Hospital in Kitchener, Ont., say Tuesday was exceptionally busy at their sites.
“It certainly wasn’t the record that we wanted to hit, having the busiest day at the hospital in 47 years,” said Yvonne Wilson, vice-president of patient care and chief nursing executive at Queensway Carleton. “But things have been building a bit, certainly through the fall.”
In a statement released this week, Queensway Carleton said it cared for 361 patients that day. It did not specify the reason for the increased volume but said patients with respiratory symptoms who don’t require urgent care should go to a local assessment centre instead.
Ms. Wilson said the hospital has recently been seeing a higher number of admissions in the ER compared to prepandemic – and the usual lull they see over the December holidays didn’t happen.
“We’ve been seeing about 240 to 250 patients coming through our [ER], and prepandemic we averaged around 200 to 220,” Ms. Wilson said. “So that makes a big difference, having that extra volume.”
Respiratory illnesses such as influenza, COVID-19 and RSV have been a factor, she said, but the hospital has also seen more mental-health admissions and patients who had been unwell for extended periods of time.
In Kitchener, Ont., Grand River Hospital said it cared for 295 patients in its emergency room on Tuesday.
“This is the highest volume we have ever seen and is the result of population growth, increased respiratory illnesses and weather related slips and falls,” the hospital said in a social media post.
Other hospitals in Ontario have also reported a spike in the number of patients being admitted this week.
St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener said it saw 184 patients on Tuesday compared to an average of 160 on a standard day.
“In general, hospitals continue to see more patients seeking care than we typically would and this week we saw a spike due to the icy conditions and injuries sustained by falls,” said Dayna Giorgio, manager of communications at St. Mary’s.
A spokesperson for Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge, Ont., said the hospital has been over 100 per cent capacity in its medical and surgical units recently.
“We’re seeing … anywhere between 120 and 130 [patients admitted] a day,” said Stephanie Pearsall, vice-president of clinical programs and chief nursing executive at the hospital.
Patients have been showing up sicker too, she said, which can make for longer stays.
Wait times for emergency room visits skyrocketed at hospitals across the province in the fall amid a surge in respiratory illnesses as well as ongoing staffing shortages.