Quebec has longest emergency room wait times in western world: report

QUEBEC CITY – A report by Quebec’s health and welfare commissioner said the province has the worst emergency room wait times in the western world.

READ MORE: Quebec government abolishes independent health watchdog

The report released Thursday reports 35 per cent of patients in the province must wait five hours or more for care, compared to 15 per cent in Ontario and five per cent in the United States and Germany.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: New pilot project won’t open door to privatize Quebec healthcare: Barrette

Health commissioner Robert Salois describes the province’s emergency rooms as chronically overcrowded and accuses the authorities of lacking the leadership and will to tackle the problem.

The report found that 1.5 million emergency room visits surpassed the Health Department’s maximum wait time in 2015-2016, amounting to 13 million extra hours spent waiting for care.

READ MORE: Quebec ‘super clinics’ set to open in 2018 in effort to reduce ER wait times

It includes nine recommendations, including an increased role for nurses.