Queensway Carleton Hospital surge update

January 12, 2024

Queensway Carleton Hospital continues to navigate through the sixth day of our current surge protocol.

Today, the Hospital is running at 107% occupancy, with high volumes and acuity across the board. There are 68 individuals waiting to be seen by a physician in our Emergency Department (ED) and another 14 patients admitted but waiting for a bed. The longest wait time for an inpatient bed once admitted is over 48 hours.

While this is a slight improvement from earlier this week, we expect pressure will build over the weekend.

We have temporarily opened 8 surge beds in the Day Surgery Unit to help get admitted patients out of the busy ED. This is in addition to the 82 temporary beds we opened during the pandemic and continue to operate at full capacity – 56 at our Park Place offisite inpatient unit, and 26 squeezed in onsite for which we have since received permanent funding.

All efforts are being made to keep the surgical schedule intact and ensure our patients receive the highest quality care in the best possible environment.

QCH is asking families who come to Emergency to prepare for longer-than-usual waits or if appropriate, to explore whether they have alternative care options, such as walk-in clinics. If you or a loved one is in a life-threatening situation, do not hesitate to dial 911 or go to your nearest hospital Emergency Department.