The notice adds that all units will "maintain a hallway patient" over 24 to 36 hours "while other strategies are identified over the next 12 hours to support a bigger pull from the sites" — meaning pulling more patients out of emergency rooms.

Edmonton and area hospitals are admitting patients to beds in hallways in a bid to relieve pressure on emergency care.

An Alberta Health Services notice initially sent this week, obtained by Postmedia, says that given “capacity constraints” in the AHS Edmonton zone, every inpatient unit is being asked to bring one admitted patient from the ER to a hallway for care. The move is intended to “decompress” emergency departments.

“This is an attempt to mitigate the risk in (emergency departments) and community with EMS,” the email reads.

The notice adds that all units will “maintain a hallway patient” over 24 to 36 hours “while other strategies are identified over the next 12 hours to support a bigger pull from the sites” — meaning pulling more patients out of emergency rooms.

In a statement, AHS spokesperson James Wood said the Edmonton zone is currently dealing with high demand for acute care, with an uptick in patients who have to be isolated plus inpatient units on outbreak status.

“It is common to see a surge of patients following a summer long weekend but the hospitals are already managing high volumes of patients, and so we are implementing measures similar to those used at peak times prior to COVID, typically in mid-winter,” he said.

Wood acknowledged one of the strategies the health authority is currently using to reduce the ER burden is asking inpatient units to temporarily care for one additional patient each.

“This may mean having one patient bed in a hallway,” he said.

In addition, AHS is working to identify patients who may be able to be sent to their “home zone” for care and identifying continuing care residents who can return to their long-term care and supportive living homes.

“This is being done to support patient flow throughout the entire Edmonton zone and keep EMS available in the community,” Wood said.

“This is not the preferred method to provide care but is currently necessary to ensure that all patients receive the care they need.”

Dr. Paul Parks, president of the section of emergency medicine in the Alberta Medical Association, said this level of strain in hospitals isn’t normal for this time of year.

“Traditionally, our volumes of respiratory illness and everything go up again in September. So if we’re operating at this level now, it’s very, very, very concerning,” he said.

“We have to implement this (hallway) policy so that we can actually protect some care and keep it going, but the flip side is it’s indicative of how dangerous things are now,” he said.

According to AHS, the number of admitted patients waiting in emergency departments has come down over the last 24 hours, and the health authority is hoping to “wind down” the current measures.

Alberta doctors have raised concerns about ER capacity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with depleted staff trying to keep up with patient volumes through numerous waves of COVID. They’re also dealing with patients who show up with acute health issues after the pandemic disrupted their ability to manage a chronic condition.

When there isn’t room to admit more patients in the hospital wards, emergency rooms can fill up to the point that EMS can’t offload patients there either, leaving the system stalled.

Parks said while the current measures are necessary, nurses and doctors will be stretching themselves thin yet again to take care of more patients than they can handle.

“If your loved one is in a ward hallway with no privacy, it’s obviously suboptimal. It’s not what we want. But it just highlights how, unfortunately, the system is really not functioning the way we would like.”

Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Edmonton Journal, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Edmonton Journal Headline News will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4

© 2022 Edmonton Journal, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.