Those waiting in the Northumberland Hills Hospital Emergency Department may soon have a better idea of how long the wait will be

File Photo.

By: Cecilia Nasmith, Northumberland 89.7 FM News

Cobourg

An innovation coming soon to the Northumberland Hills Hospital emergency department will create an awareness of wait times for those seeking care.

This enhancement was described in the report from President and Chief Executive Officer Susan Walsh at the October hospital board meeting as “joining the practice of many larger hospitals regarding the awareness of Emergency Department wait times.”

“With support from our regional partners, NHH's Emergency Department leadership, Patient Experience, IT, Performance and Analytics and Auxiliary volunteer teams, the current average wait time within the NHH Emergency will soon be accessible on both the hospital website, nhh.ca, and on a monitor within the main Emergency Department.”

Starting next month, information that will be shared will include “close-to-real-time” average current wait time to see a doctor and the volume of patients in the department – always keeping in mind that wait times vary according to the reason for one's visit and the staffing capacity at the time.

Upon arrival in Emergency, patients are assessed using the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale to help determine the level of urgency for each individual patient and appropriate assignment within the queue. The wait times displayed are estimates, and do not reflect the total length of one's visit as additional care may be required in terms of tests and treatments.

As well, one's placement in the queue may change, based on changes in one's health while awaiting care.

As always, Walsh's report concluded, “our team is always here to support the community with emergency care. If you need to be assessed, don't hesitate. It could be life or death.”