BC’s Official Opposition is calling on Northern Health to post wait-times online for Emergency Rooms across the region.
Last week, Island Health unveiled a new online tool to let people know how long wait times are, before they go to the ER.
But Northern Health said currently, they can’t create a similar website to what’s being used on Vancouver Island.
The health authority said it understands that having accurate, up-to-date information about the status of Emergency Departments is valuable to patients.
“Northern Health has examined the model used by Island Health and is considering options to offer Northern B.C. residents more up-to-date information about the status of Emergency Departments in their communities,” said the health authority to CJDC TV News in an email.
The MLA for Peace River South says that metrics are important in measuring success in any business.
Larry Neufeld said, “Residents of northeast BC deserve the same quality and access to healthcare that people in the southern part of the province enjoy.”
Given the large distances between Emergency Departments in the North, Northern Health said there is less reason for people to compare wait times between facilities than in the Lower Mainland or Vancouver Island.
“It is important to remember that people arriving at Emergency Departments are triaged – with more serious cases being seen first. This can result in longer wait times for less life-threatening cases when Emergency Departments are busy,” said the health authority.