Outage cleared at multiple Toronto hospitals after strong winds cause disruptions
An outage at Toronto’s University Health Network has been cleared after stormy weather and strong winds caused appointment and service delays at several hospitals in the city.
The health network posted on social media Wednesday afternoon that they have restored the health information system and several of the other systems are being restored as well. The outage started early Wednesday morning.
Patients might still experience delays with care for the remainder of the day, the network added, due to the backlogs that need to clear.
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday that the weather caused the outage and it impacted the entire region.
“I've been assured that they are working actively on it,” Jones said Wednesday morning. “I have all the confidence in the world that it will be resolved quickly.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
In a message posted to social media Wednesday, University Health Network (UHN) said the “unexpected” outage impacted service at Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.
“The outage is impacting the UHN website, patient portal and patient record systems,” the hospital network stated on social media. “Some patient appointments and procedures are delayed … A limited number of procedures have been cancelled and will be re-booked by clinic staff.”
Dr. Kathryn Tinckam, UHN physician-in-chief and program medical director, told CP24 on Wednesday afternoon that patients have been contacted directly about any changes to their care.
“Patients with early-to-mid morning appointments, have certainly experienced some delays in their care and in some very few cases, we've had to actually postpone some procedures out of an abundance of caution,” Tinckam said. “The teams are working very hard to reschedule any care that's been delayed or postponed.”
She said that very few cases have been postponed and that most patients should just expect slight delays in their care. She said there has also been delays receiving lab results and imaging results.
“We also want to emphasize that patient safety is paramount, and patient safety has not been affected during this incident,” she stated.
She added that the incident is not cyber related and patient information remains safe.
The UHN’s website is back up and running after several hours of not being operational.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.