Canadians spending more time waiting for emergency health care: CIHI

Emergency departments across Canada are facing unprecedented strain, leading to drastically longer wait times for patients seeking urgent medical attention. A recent report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reveals that in 2024-25, approximately 1.5 million people spent more than 14 hours in emergency rooms, marking a concerning 28% surge compared to the 2018-2019 period.

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are facing challenges with overcrowding, staffing shortages, and limited bed and stretcher capacity that have not kept pace with growing demand.

The situation is particularly dire for those requiring admission to an inpatient bed. The CIHI data indicates that one in 10 patients admitted to an emergency department, equating to roughly 180,000 individuals, faced waits exceeding 48 hours for a bed. This highlights a critical bottleneck within the hospital system, impacting the flow of care and patient outcomes.

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Longer waits for physician assessment are associated with potential risks, including worsening clinical condition, reduced timeliness of care and a greater likelihood of adverse events.

According to the report, overcrowding, persistent staffing shortages, and insufficient bed and stretcher capacity are the primary culprits behind these escalating delays. These issues have not kept pace with the growing demand for emergency services. Dr. Cheryl Chui, director of health system analytics at CIHI, emphasized that the problems often originate outside the emergency departments themselves, pointing to challenges in moving patients through hospitals once they are ready for discharge.

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are really due to factors that are originating outside of emergency departments.

Older adults and individuals with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, are disproportionately affected, often experiencing the longest waits. The report cautions that extended waits for physician assessment carry significant risks, including the potential for a patient's condition to worsen, delayed care, and an increased likelihood of adverse health events. Improving these wait times, therefore, requires a holistic examination of the entire health system, not just the emergency departments.

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We’re seeing patients with more complex needs arriving in the emergency department as well as where we are seeing challenges moving patients through hospitals and into the next level of care when they’re ready to be discharged.