‘If this keeps up people will die’: Niagara EMS concerns falling on deaf ears at Queen’s Park

Numerous letters sent to the provincial government in the past year asking for assistance have been ignored as the offload delays Niagara paramedics are facing continue to escalate.

Niagara Region Chair Jim Bradley described the offload delays as genuinely a crisis," following a presentation on the impact of the tens of thousands of hours paramedics spend waiting to deliver patients into the care of hospital emergency departments.

Niagara Emergency Medical Services interim Chief Rick Ferron said the problems are likely to continue in the months and years to come, after paramedics spent roughly 33,400 hours on offload delay in 2022 - not including the roughly 30 minutes it typically takes to deliver each patient into the care of doctors and nurses.

That would be the equivalent of taking four ambulances off the road every day here in Niagara, 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he told the Region's public health and community services committee Tuesday.

It's also the equivalent of 30 paramedics being paid 24 hours a day, seven days a week to stand in EDs caring for patients."

If the problem continues to increase at the same rate, he said this year paramedics expect to spend more than 52,000 hours on offload delay.

At its peak last May, he said, 13 ambulances were parked at St. Catharines hospital - spilling out of its ambulance bay and into the parking lot.

It meant for a period of about 40 minutes that day, there were no available ambulances left to respond to calls, regardless of the severity of the emergency - a situation described as Code Zero, Ferron added.

Bradley said he sent correspondence to appropriate ministers several times, when instructed to do so by councillors.

His chief of staff, Daryl Barnhart, said letters were sent to provincial government representatives on Nov. 26, 2021, on May 6, July 29 and Sept 1, 2022, and an email was sent on Aug. 25, 2021. And Barnhardt said he personally spoke to West Lincoln MPP Sam Oosterhoff about the concerns on a number of occasions."

The region has yet to receive a formal response to any of the correspondence it has sent, Barnhart added.

That's a problem," St. Catharines Coun. Laura Ip said. I think that's the province not taking this issue nearly seriously enough. And that's a significant problem."

She said some of the letters were requests for meetings to discuss the problems further, rather than funding requests.

Ip said the provincewide scope of the problem is all the more reason to be taking this far more seriously and not ignoring our letters."

She is concerned that delayed emergency responses for many patients could have a direct impact on their recovery.

The way I see it, if this keeps up people will die," Ip said.

While Ferron said a triage system used by EMS should prevent delayed responses for people in dire need, he said that would be a concern" when Code Zeros occur and there are no ambulances to send.

He also said it will likely take years - not months - before the challenges the health-care system faces can be rectified.

Fort Erie Coun. Tom Insinna suggested sending Queen's Park a bill to recoup costs Niagara has spent to keep its ambulances on the road while dealing with offload delays.

It's not so much getting the money. It's to make a statement," Insinna said.

With several councillors scheduled to attend the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto Jan. 22 to 24, West Lincoln Coun. Albert Witteveen suggested setting up meetings with provincial ministers to again just reinforce the challenges we are facing here in Niagara."

That's an opportunity we can seize to explain to them, or I guess strong-arm ministers to say we're putting out a fire here and we really need your help," he said.

Bradley said that's exactly what must be done.

He said it's a full-court press that's required on this," suggesting discussing the concerns with provincial representatives at every opportunity.

Meanwhile, he said it's not something the Region can resolve on its own, even if we put 20 more ambulances on the road with staff."

The problem is still going to be when they arrive at the hospital there's no place for the patient."

Allan Benner is a St. Catharines-based reporter with the Standard. Reach him via email: allan.benner@niagaradailies.com