The pressure on London’s mental health services was front and centre at Queen’s Park Monday.
London West MPP Peggy Sattler asked the government why it has yet to move on a pilot project that could speed up access to care.
READ MORE: Hospital hydro costs in London rose nearly $2 million over past six years
Last week, Sattler said London’s mental health ER was at 146 per cent capacity, with 18 patients waiting for beds.
“The ministry continues to sit on a pilot project proposal that was submitted by my community last fall to allow ambulance transfer of non-acute mental health and addiction patients directly to the crisis centre instead of the hospital waiting room,” said Sattler.
Health Minister Eric Hoskins replied they love the pilot project, but ambulances aren’t allowed to transfer patients anywhere other than hospitals.
“Were we to take a legislative approach, it would take many months to reach that conclusion,” he said.
Hoskins says workers on the ground are being briefed this week on options to help ease the pressure on the hospitals and Sattler, herself, would be briefed Tuesday.
Sattler said the pilot project could save $2.5 million by diverting as many as 3,000 non-acute patients from the mental health ER a year.