SickKids seeing spike in ER patient volumes, with some waiting up to 12 hours – CTV
Oct. 27, 2022
Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children is urging families to consider other options before coming in to the emergency department (ED) after more than 300 patients showed up over a 24-hour period in recent days.
SickKids, in a statement provided to CP24, said typically in October it plans for about 220 to 230 patients at its ED in one day.
“At SickKids, volumes in our Emergency Department remain unseasonably high and are increasing as we move into the viral illness season. We are seeing more non-COVID viral burden in the community,” SickKids said, noting the average time to see a physician in the ED has tripled since October 2019.
Due to the high volume as of late, the average time to see a doctor could be as long as 12 hours, the hospital said, as the sickest patients are prioritized.
