Children's Hospital, LHSC warn of long ER wait times
A desperate warning from the Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre.
The hospital is asking families to play safe this summer in order to avoid any further stress on its emergency department.
As a parent of a four-year-old, mother Michelle Ashton knows all too well that accidents can happen when you least expect.
“She definitely likes to play,” said Ashton. “She’s pretty coordinated, but yes, accidents do happen.”
Ashton is hoping to avoid anything serious enough to land young Hannah in the emergency department, especially in light of an announcement from LHSC.
Mother Michelle Ashton plays with daughter, four-year-old Hannah at Gibbons Park in London, Ont. on July 4, 2022. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)In a media release, Dr. Rod Lim, director of paediatric emergency care at LHSC said, “The ED [emergency department] is currently experiencing high volumes, which is causing longer than normal wait times.”
He went on to say “with summer vacation here, and kids being outside and more active, we recognize there is potential for increased injury. As much as possible, we want everyone to have a safe summer and avoid any unwanted trips to the ED.”
Children’s Hospital is just the latest of several health centres in the region to warn of delays in emergency departments. Staff shortages and burnout have been made worse by the pandemic, according to the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA).
ONA President Cathryn Hoy said many health professionals are retiring or leaving the profession, leaving many hospital positions unfilled.
“So when they actually speak out and say ‘we need you to help us, only come if needed,’ you know we’re in trouble,” explained Hoy. “They are grossly, grossly understaffed,” she added.
Children’s Hospital listed the top five current reasons for ED visits at Children’s Hospital:
- Injuries to the head
- General infection concerns
- Acute upper respiratory infections
- Injuries to the elbow/forearm
- Digestive/abdomen
As for Ashton, she said she understands how hard nurses and other health professionals at Children’s Hospital are working, and she’s hoping to get through the summer without needing their help.
“Just try not to go when you don’t need to, but yeah, it’s definitely concerning if you’re having to wait a long time with an injured child,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.