Non-urgent patients being redirected from ERs in western Quebec

Entrance to the emergency department at Gatineau Hospital (CTV News Ottawa)

The Outaouais public health unit has announced a mandatory patient redirection measure to ease the burden on emergency departments in Gatineau, Hull, and Papineau.

The CISSS de l’Outaouais said Monday the temporary measure means certain patients whose conditions are deemed non-urgent will be redirected to other resources outside the emergency room.

“Following a triage evaluation, if the patient’s condition requires medical attention but can be safely taken care of outside the emergency department, the patient will be directed to another appropriate resource,” the CISSS de l’Outaouais said in a news release, originally in French.

“The patient can refuse the redirection; however, care will not be provided in the emergency department as long as the measure is in effect because it can be adequately provided in a setting better suited to the patient’s needs.”

People in need of urgent care are still welcome in the emergency room. The CISSS de l’Outaouais says that if your condition deteriorates, call 811 or visit an emergency department.

Emergency departments in Quebec have been overwhelmed by a hard-hitting flu season, with Santé Québec saying there is an occupancy rate of 182 per cent in ERs in the Outaouais region, leading to lengthy wait times.

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