Toronto area hospitals still in crisis mode, NDP says more needs to be done

Horwath releases new data showing Scarborough, Toronto East hospitals are dangerously overcrowded

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath released new documents Wednesday showing that the overcrowding and hallway medicine crisis in Toronto area hospitals continues to get worse, with hospitals as full as 147 per cent in December and January.

Yet, under Kathleen Wynne, some actually had beds cut over the last year.

From Dec. 15, 2017 to Jan. 15, 2018, hospitals in both Scarborough and East Toronto were shockingly overcrowded.

“Laying on gurneys in make-shift spaces like waiting rooms or hallways is becoming the norm for Ontarians who need to go to the hospital,” said Horwath. “It’s tragic that a world-class health care system like the one we have in Ontario is struggling just to keep up. Overcrowding means painfully long waits, less patient privacy, uncomfortable conditions and concerns about infection control. This is not how care should be delivered in Ontario.”

In January, the Scarborough Hospital’s Birchmount site’s medical beds reached an alarmingly high occupancy of 147 per cent, but had 25 fewer budgeted beds for patients than this time last year – meaning the space is there, but the province no longer provides funding for operating those beds – money that’s needed to pay for things like doctors, nurses and supplies.

Toronto East Michael Garron Hospital was also well over safe capacity, hitting 119 per cent occupancy.

And Scarborough’s Centenary hospital was forced to operate its surgical beds at 115 per cent occupancy in January.

Experts say the safe occupancy limit in hospitals is 85 per cent.

“Occupancy is going up while funded beds in some hospitals are being cut,” said Horwath.

“We have to stop choosing between bad and worse. People should have a premier that shares their priorities – one that will make fixing this overcrowding crisis a priority, so that when you need to go to the emergency room, you’ll know you’re going to get the help you need right away.”

Horwath has released dozens of internal documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests since May 2016 revealing the extent of the overcrowding and hallway medicine crisis in Ontario. The last Conservative government closed 28 hospitals and fired 6,000 nurses, and Wynne’s Liberals continued down the same path – shortchanging hospitals in the current budget by at least $300 million.

Horwath has committed to hospital funding that, at a minimum, meets the rate of inflation plus population growth, and includes funding to meet the unique needs of the hospital’s community – things like aging populations.