ER visits down at all P.E.I. hospitals

The number of times people visited P.E.I. emergency rooms dropped significantly last year, but there was an increase in the number who left the ER without seeing a doctor.

In 2012-2013, there were 101,657 visits to Island ERs. The following year, there were slightly more than 95,000 a drop of more than six per cent.

The drop registered in all four ERs in the province Charlottetown, Summerside, Alberton and Montague.

Health PEI says the drop represents a decrease in non-urgent cases, such as when the individual doesn't have a family doctor or a walk-in clinic isn't available.

The new ambulatory care centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is one factor in the decline, as it provides Islanders with access to a more appropriate level of care in many cases, says Health PEI.

"We also increased access to the walk-in clinics, we've improved access to primary-care providers in the community, so there's been some projects to try to improve work flow and processes," said Pam Trainor, Health PEI's executive director of acute care, mental health and addictions.

Wait time an issue: Health PEI

Also during this period, registered nurses with the province's 811 tele-health service told hundreds of Islanders who planned to go to the ER, that they didn't need to.

While the number of overall ER visits was down, the number of people who showed up and left without being seen by anyone was up slightly.

One out of every 12 patients, or about 8.2 per cent, who went to the ERs in Charlottetown and Summerside left before seeing anyone. That's up 0.7 per cent from 2012-2013, and it's more than twice the national average.

Health PEI says wait time is the primary issue. And it used to be worse. In2009, one out of every seven patients walked out of the QEH's ER.

Health PEI says wait times have improved, and fewer people are leaving, but it wants to improve both figures even further.