Quebec emergency rooms remain under pressure

With the winter peak having been reached last week, the province’s emergency departments are still “very busy” and “remain under pressure,” according Santé Québec.

“Half of all emergency room visits are made by patients whose needs can be handled by other healthcare professionals. This situation increases delays for priority patients,” explains Véronique Wilson, assistant General Manager, Network Coordination and Operations Support, for Santé Québec.

Wilson reminding Quebecers to call 811 before going to the ER. “For non-urgent needs, 811 professionals can find alternatives to the ER. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the paramedical teams. Your presence on the front line and your commitment to patient care is noticed and appreciated.”

The stretcher occupancy rate in Quebec stands at 124 per cent for Feb. 11 to 24, up 12 per cent on 2023-2024.

For both Montreal and the 450 regions, stretcher occupancy rates are still well above the province’s average. For Montreal, it stands at 140 per cent, up 16 per cent from last year for the same time period.

For the 450 – Laval, the Laurentians, Lanaudière, and Montérégie – the stretcher occupancy rate is 143 per cent, up seven per cent from 2024.

The average length of stay for a patient in a Quebec ER deteriorated by 150 minutes compared with the same time period last year, rising from 17.4 hours to 19.8 hours for Feb. 11 to 24. It worsened in Montreal the most, from 19.8 hours to 23.7 hours.

Although, the number of daily visits to the province’s emergency departments was slightly lower than in previous years, with around 250 fewer visits ER a day.

“We remind the public that if a health situation causes concern and requires a visit to the emergency department, never hesitate to go there,” added Wilson.