Increased paramedics calls isn’t a COVID problem, report shows

The Hamilton region has had the highest number of patients transported by paramedics in 2019 in Ontario, as the overall demand of ambulances surged over the last decade, a report said.

The Hamilton-Niagara-Haldimand-Brant health region topped the list of 14 health regions in the province by accounting for 11.7 per cent of paramedic transports in the year prior to the pandemic.

Between 2010 and 2019, Ontario experienced an almost 40 per cent increase in paramedic transports, far exceeding population growth" and walk-in ED (emergency department) visitation," according to the study published in the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine on Aug. 19.

Researchers from the non-profit ICES and McMaster University believe the high demand for paramedics may continue to surge alongside population aging."

In 2019, two out of five people in Ontario calling for an ambulance were over the age of 65, accounting for 44 per cent of the total calls.

The calls weren't just limited to the urban regions such as Hamilton and Toronto, but the surge was evident across the rural and northern regions of the province.

Up until the pandemic, hospitals were already struggling to accommodate the surge in patients, with average wait times climbing up to more than 16 hours for a patient to be transferred to the hospital from the emergency department in 2019.

In Hamilton, more than 30 per cent of the residents are aged 55 and older, according to the city's 2019 report.

Given our existing and future demographic and aging population, this spells doom for the quality of patient care that we can provide to our patients," Mario Posteraro, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 256 that represents local paramedics, told The Spectator.

He noted the lack of beds in long-term care and a lack of primary care physicians for our most vulnerable is seriously impacting our ambulance service."

Lead author Ryan Strum from McMaster University said in a news release that the findings highlight the need for health policy-makers to re-evaluate paramedic service organizations to reduce ED overcrowding and build sustainable models for prehospital care for the future - especially as transports continue to rise."

The provincewide study also highlighted a significant number - six in every 10 calls for ambulances - were made for nonemergent medical needs and were discharged home directly from the ED.

By providing more primary-care integration, referrals in the community, as well as alternate subacute destinations, some patients may not require ED transport, thereby reducing the burden in our EDS," senior author Andrew Costa from ICES said.

Posteraro highlighted the punishing" pace of work for the paramedics has been contributed to the ongoing burnout and increase in mental-health issues."

Sufficient resources need to be invested in order to meet the mounting demand for prehospital emergency medical services within the city of Hamilton," he said.

Ritika Dubey is a reporter at The Spectator. rdubey@thespec.com