Ontario tackles ER wait times with $45M more

The Ontario government is expanding its effortto reduce emergency-room wait times across the province.

Speaking at a Thursday afternoon news conference at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital, Health Minister Deb Matthews said the province will provide an extra $45 million this year to help 25 emergency rooms track patient flow and hire nurse practitioners to help treat and discharge patients.

That's in addition to the $55 million allotted to 46 hospitalsas part of the "Pay For Results" program to reducewait times.

The71 facilitiesnow covered under the programaccount forfewerthan half of the province's 163 emergency departments.

The hospitals operating under the plan "have been able to demonstrate a reduction in wait times by almost 25 per cent," said Matthews. "So we know it works."

St. Michael'sHospital hasmade some headway in tackling the issue the downtown hospital has reducedits average ER wait timeto 10 hours from 25.

That makes a world of difference on the front lines, said nurse Mark Yota. "As a nurse, you really notice that patients have more confidence in us and are just happier with us."

But Progressive Conservative health critic Lisa McLeodsaid many are not so keen to proclaim the plan a success, particularly those who have to wait.

"They think that's simply unsuccessful and simply unworkable for them," she said.