A hospital in Ontario is warning of “much longer than expected wait times” in its emergency department.
“Due to rapidly changing demands in our Emergency Departments at (Markham Stouffville Hospital) and Uxbridge Hospital, individuals seeking care may experience much longer than expected wait times,” a tweet from the Markham Stouffville Hospital read.
The hospital said those in need of “serious medical attention” should “please go to the nearest Emergency Department.”
“However, we ask individuals considering coming to the Emergency Department to assess your illness and consider alternative options for care if their situation is not an emergency,” the tweet read.
In a statement Friday, Oak Valley Health, which includes Markham Stouffville Hospital and Uxbridge Hospital, said it was “experiencing very high volumes” in its emergency department “with minimal potential to discharge patients from our inpatient units.”
“This means there was minimal flow of patients out of the Emergency Department,” the statement read.
Oak Valley Health said its emergency departments “remain open 24/7 and safe for anyone who needs emergency care.”
“We would like to remind individuals who do not need emergency care to look for alternatives such as walk-in clinics or urgent care centres, your family doctor or primary care provider, or reaching out to Telehealth,” the statement read.
Oak Valley Health said its teams are “working hard to maintain a staffing complement” that ensures patients receive the “safest and highest standard of care possible.”
The organization said “at this time” it does not “anticipate any service interruptions” at either hospital, including at the emergency departments.
According to the Oak Valley Health website, by Friday afternoon, wait times to see a doctor at the Markham Stouffville Hospital and the Uxbridge Hospital were estimated to be about two hours.
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