Ontario government and doctors reach last-minute deal in effort to save virtual ERs
Ontario has granted a three-month funding extension for doctors to provide care through virtual emergency departments, The Canadian Press has learned.
Several hospitals had said they planned to shut down their virtual ERs -- and one says it still will -- because the provincial funding was set to run out after Friday.
The last-minute deal reached between the province and the Ontario Medical Association extends funding until June 30, said Health Minister Sylvia Jones.
"We will continue to work with the OMA to ensure that care is available to Ontarians where and when they need it," Jones wrote in a statement.
The government will "assess what is needed across the health-care system" for a long-term plan on virtual ERs, she said.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The Unity Health Toronto hospital network said the last-minute deal will not change its plan to shut its successful virtual emergency department.
Spokeswoman Jennifer Stranges said the department was "key in ensuring access and continuity of health services" during the pandemic.
"We're now looking at how as an organization we use virtual care to provide access to health services to our patients and community," she said.
Unity Health, which runs St. Michael's Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital, had partnered with University Health Network -- the largest hospital system in the country -- and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre on a virtual ER pilot project.
Last week, the CEO of the University Health Network said his hospital system's virtual ER program would not "cease," regardless of whether provincial funding came through or not.
"We'll continue to work with government to demonstrate to them why this is a worthwhile investment and how it helps one of their -- and our first -- priorities: not overwhelming emergency departments," Kevin Smith said.
"It's been a very successful endeavour -- about 85 per cent of people we see virtually don't need to come to hospital."
That equates to more than 3,000 patients who avoided an unnecessary trip to the emergency room.
The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto also said its virtual ER program will continue.
Hospitals across the province have grappled with extended periods of overwhelmed emergency departments over the past three years. Many emergency departments run close to 100 per cent capacity during normal times and struggle when surges hit.
Some were overrun with COVID-19 patients while others dealt with record numbers of viral respiratory patients, particularly pediatric hospitals last fall.
Numerous emergency departments across the province, especially those in smaller or rural communities, closed for hours, days or even weeks at a time last year. Hospital officials have said those closures were primarily due to severe staffing shortages, particularly nurses.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.