Patients still waiting too long in ERs

According to a performance report by the Alberta Health Services, wait times in emergency rooms in Alberta are still way too long.

Despite opening a new hospital in southeast Calgary a few months ago, the Alberta Health Services say that wait times in the city are still too long.

The AHS says they want to have 75 percent of patients admitted into care within eight hours, but current levels at the Foothills, Peter Lougheed, and Rocky View are still only averaging between 50 and 60 percent.

A performance report released by the province says that wait times have remained stable over the past few years, but there are many more people going in for treatment.

The report also says that wait times for other procedures are also missing the mark.

The average wait time for hip surgery in Alberta is over 35 weeks while the target is 22 and non-urgent heart bypass surgery should be a six week wait, but patients are waiting up to six months.