Emergency rooms in Quebec are still overcrowded as spring break approaches. Several regions have been in the red for more than ten days, while the average utilization of stretchers in the province is still above 100 percent.
It is clear that the emergencies of several hospitals in Quebec are still under pressure, although the numbers vary from region to region. For example, occupancy in the Laurentians is almost 155% and in Laval it is even 165%.
Start of the widget. Skip widget?
End of widget. Return to the top of the widget?
However, note that certain regions remain in the green, such as: Abitibi-Témiscamingue (78%), Mauricie and Center-du-Québec (76%), Bas-Saint-Laurent (63%), Gaspésie – Îles -de-la-Madeleine (55%) and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (54%).
The crisis team, really effective?
This situation is reminiscent of the last holiday season and was so critical that the Legault government decided to set up a crisis team as in 2022.
This measure was intended to be temporary until the First Line Access Counter (GAP) is improved, in the hope that patients without a doctor will no longer have access to the First Line Access Counter. Flexibility to go straight to the emergency room for common health problems.
The crisis team was originally scheduled to last until March 1, 2024, but Francis Martel, spokesman for the Department of Public Affairs and Strategies of the Department of Health and Human Services, assured this morning that there is no end date.
In an emailed response, the ministry stated that the crisis team continues to meet every week. It allows you to take stock of the situation in an emergency, identify problematic situations and blockages and work on concrete solutions. The team is moving forward and will continue to follow up to ensure the identified solutions are implemented.
When the crisis team was set up in 2022, Minister Dubé came under criticism from the opposition. Quebec Solidaire MPs accused Minister Dubé of being disconnected from the network.
Nevertheless, in an interview with D'abord l'info on Sunday morning, Josiane Arsenault, president of the Association of Emergency Nurses of Quebec, claims to have noticed a downward trend in the time spent treating patients in the emergency room. “We see that the waiting time in hospitals continues to be shorter than it already is,” emphasizes the President. However, we try, if possible, to offer alternatives to visiting the emergency room.
Resumption of the operating program
Particularly noteworthy is the resumption of the operating program since the holiday season, explains Josiane Arsenault.
Facilities try to maintain a balance so as not to delay surgeries, resulting in stretcher overload in the emergency room as standard.
The resurgence of respiratory viruses remains significant. For example, twice as many patients with respiratory viruses were admitted to the emergency room in 2023 as in 2022. However, the situation has not improved in 2024, quite the opposite.
There was some lull during the holiday season, but respiratory viruses are still present and should be taken into account when visiting the emergency room, Ms. Arsenault points out.
Job burnout, the big culprit?
Burnout among emergency physicians continues to rise, with problems related to the health care system suspected to be the cause, according to a Canadian study first published in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Researchers found that 59% of respondents felt severe emotional exhaustion, an increase of 18 points compared to 2020 results.
According to study co-author Patrick Archambault, who spoke to The Canadian Press, the aging of the population, the increasing complexity of problems in the emergency room and the lack of resources are factors that contribute to professional burnout among doctors.
“It doesn't surprise me that the need is increasing when we see on the ground how resources are less available than before,” emphasizes Mr. Archambault, who is also an emergency intensive care physician at the Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis.
The pandemic made it possible to concentrate services at various critical points in the healthcare system, temporarily reducing emergency room traffic.
The return to normality has caused pre-pandemic problems to recur.
Worse, several health professionals have left their profession by retiring or changing careers, Mr. Archambault points out. Some teams are also still weakened by the pandemic.
Emergency physician burnout may be even more severe than the survey shows, as many physicians did not respond to the survey. Patrick Archambault is aware that governments are working with hospitals and professional bodies to find solutions, but given staff shortages this needs to be accelerated, he says.
With information from Raphaëlle Drouin and The Canadian Press