The chief of the County of Essex-Windsor EMS says the number of hours paramedics spend waiting at emergency rooms with patients has ballooned 48% over the past two years.
Bruce Krauter says despite past initiatives meant to decrease the number of hours ambulances spend in the parking bay at area hospitals, so-called off-load hours is costing the agency $1.5-million. "The province has historically funded to pay for an off-load nurse," he says. "They can handle up to five patients in each department but what the problem is, we bring in more than five than we have to be pushed on to off-load delay."
However, he says EMS is working with Windsor Regional Hospital and other partners in the community to address the problem. "It's a long, load road and we're hoping that 2015 will show that we get some off-load delay resolve."
Krauter says calls are expected to increase 2% in 2015 to approximately 52,000.
