Report suggests offload delays at Guelph, Ont. hospital resulting in lack of ambulatory service

The lack of available ambulances in Guelph, Ont., is causing concern with city council.

A report on paramedic service performances in 2021 was delivered to council at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting.

The report by Guelph Wellington Paramedic Services General Manager Stephen Dewar suggested there were a number of offload delays at Guelph General Hospital during the second half of last year.

Councillor Rodrigo Goller said that meant there were no ambulances around for emergency calls.

“When someone calls for an ambulance, there is none available,” said Goller.

“There is an agreement with neighbouring municipalities so we can work with each other.”

But Goller said it continues to be a serious situation.

A motion was passed to accept the response time performance plan for 2023, and to call on the Ministry of Health to put in more funding and resources towards offload nurses.

Mayor Cam Guthrie said the latter would help alleviate the delays that paramedics are currently experiencing and allow them to attend to the next call.

“(The MOH) need to be able to provide funding hospitals for nurse who can take the patients being dropped off by ambulances,” said Guthrie.

“That would allow ambulances to get right back out to the next call.”

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