People in need of health-care services now have more information at their fingertips thanks to a new webpage featuring estimated emergency department wait times and detailed patient resources.
“When someone needs emergency care, unknown factors like where to go for care or ED wait times can be frustrating,” said Leah Hollins, Island Health Board Chair. “This webpage is an excellent tool and giving people more information about current conditions and care options will benefit both patients and care providers.”
Beginning July 3, a new webpage will be live at islandhealth.ca/findcare. The webpage includes estimated wait times to see a physician in the emergency department at Island Health’s eight major hospitals. People who may not need immediate emergency care will also be able to explore the range of resources available to them, including information about Urgent and Primary Care Centres and community-based resources.
“It’s important for people to be able to easily find and understand the different care options that are available to them, so they can make the best choice for themselves or a loved one,” said Marko Peljhan, Island Health’s vice-president for acute clinical operations. “We know this webpage has been highly anticipated and I want to express my gratitude to the communities we serve for their patience – and to the Island Health teams who put in so much work to ensure we are providing the most accurate information possible.”
Estimated wait times are calculated using data from emergency department encounters that started at a given time of day (by one-hour increments) on that day of the week over the past eight weeks at the same site. It is anticipated 9 out of 10 patients will be seen within the estimated wait time and most people should be seen sooner.
“’How long can I expect to wait’ is one of the most common questions we hear from people in our emergency departments,” said Dr. Ben Williams, Island Health’s vice-president of medicine, quality, research and chief medical officer. “I believe this new resource will support frontline staff and physicians in focusing on providing the best care possible, while empowering people to make informed choices about the care options available to them.”
As is always the case in Island Health emergency departments, people are seen based on how serious their condition is and people with life-threatening injuries or conditions will not have to wait. People in need of immediate emergency care should never hesitate – they should call 911 or attend the nearest emergency department immediately.
Island Health is also taking action to improve people’s experience in our emergency departments because we know long waits are frustrating and add stress to an already difficult situation. Our strategies include hiring more doctors and nurses, adding more than 800 new nurses in 2024. We are also investing in community-based services – home care, long-term care, primary care – to reduce the burden on emergency departments. We just opened a new, second UPCC in Nanaimo and a new UPCC will open in Cowichan Valley this year. In 2024, Island Health transitioned to a full UPCC in Comox Valley and added a new primary care access clinic in Campbell River.
Wait times are based on historical data and can change at any time based on current conditions in the department. While Island Health teams will closely monitor wait times and patient experience, there is the potential for rapidly changing conditions and fluctuating wait times based on patient needs and demand at a given site in the weeks immediately following the initial launch. We ask for patience and understanding during the initial weeks after the website is launched as any necessary tweaks are made to ensure the most accurate information is displayed.