Like many emergency rooms across Montreal, Lakeshore General Hospital has a reputation for long wait times, but newly released figures from Santé Québec show it had the highest average length of stay of any hospital across the province in 2025-2026. Data shows patients waited an average of 30 hours and 54 minutes on a stretcher before being hospitalized or discharged, nearly double the provincial average of 16 hours and 46 minutes. Santé Québec reported there were 108,201 fewer visits to the emergency room last year, but those who did go were older. At Lakeshore General Hospital, 46 per cent of emergency room visits were made by people aged over 75. Patients’ rights advocate Paul Brunet said this is a worrying trend and an indication that access to primary care is not improving. “The then Minister of Health, Mr. [Christian] Dubé, said 50 per cent of patients ending up at the emergency could be served and treated elsewhere,” he said. “Where is the elsewhere option?” He said there needs to be more home care services for seniors to protect them and the health care system. A spokesperson for the Regional Health Authority (CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal) says, despite the poor ranking, the emergency room performance at Lakeshore General Hospital is getting better. “In concrete terms, we are implementing contingency plans during periods of overcapacity,” the Regional Health Authority said in an email. “We have also strengthened home care services and added a dedicated geriatric emergency team. These measures allow us to better direct patients, reduce avoidable admissions, and improve overall efficiency.” Some users question whether things can improve with the current level of staffing. “Every time I’ve come to the emergency room, I’ve been treated really, really well,” said Alice Desrosiers. “Yes, there are wait times. What can you do? The government did that.” Brunet said the recent data should show the government that there are still too many visits being made to the emergency room. “Unfortunately, the numbers cannot allow us to conclude that that we’re doing better in terms of primary care because so many patients are still waiting.”
