A treatment room in the emergency department at the Peter Lougheed hospital in Calgary. Patients and medical experts warn that many hospitals are overcrowded, understaffed and underfunded.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Patients, doctors, nurses and medical organizations across Canada have sounded the alarm for years about what they call the dire state of emergency room care.
The family of a teen who died in Ontario after he waited several hours for urgent medical care is also calling for urgent reforms.
Finlay van der Werken died in February, 2024 after he was determined to have pneumonia, sepsis and hypoxia. He waited more than eight hours to be seen by a doctor at a hospital in Oakville.
An Ontario teen died after waiting in agony for hours at an ER. Now, his family wants an inquest
Canadian ERs closed their doors for at least 1.14 million hours since 2019, records show
The van der Werken family says that while there is a lot of awareness about significant challenges in ERs across the country, there seems to be complacency, too. Hazel van der Werken believes the system can and must change.
Finlay’s story echoes broader concerns from patients, medical organizations and countless physicians and nurses about the state of emergency care in Canada. They warn that many hospitals are overcrowded, understaffed and underfunded – and that this could have dangerous and even deadly consequences.
We want to know: How do you feel about the state of ER care in Canada? What has your experience been like for you or your loved ones? What do you think should be done to address this issue? What should provincial and federal leaders do to address it?
Please share your story in the form below or send us an e-mail at [email protected].
What have you encountered in emergency rooms in Canada?
Canadian patients, doctors, nurses and medical organizations across Canada have sounded the alarm for years about what they call the dire state of emergency room care in Canada.We want to know — how do you feel about the state of ER care in Canada? What has your experience been like or that of your loved ones? What do you think should be done to address this issue? How concerned are you about this matter? Share your thoughts in the form below.
