Patients with minor injuries contributing to overcrowding at Cornwall Regional Hospital

 

Dr. Delroy Fray, Clinical Coordinator at Cornwall Regional Hospital, says a recent analysis of patients streaming into the hospital's Accident and Emergency Department showed that most of them are presenting with minor injuries.

 

Dr. Fray says this is a major contributor to overcrowding at the A&E Department.

 

"What we found is that about 40-45 per cent of these patients that were presented to us could have been dealt with in a clinic setting like our public health clinic. But these patients, you know, they always move towards the hospital."

 

As a result, he said the hospital has had to employ the triage system when patients arrive.  

 

"So once you are presented, you are seen, you are consulted in terms of to look at your condition and to see how to prioritise you. And what you'll find, those 45 per cent of patients, when they are prioritised, there is not a rush to see them, so you are going to have a long waiting time to see those patients," he noted. 

 

Dr. Fray added that increased trauma cases caused by violence and motor vehicle accidents are also contributing to overcrowding in the A&E Department.

 

"We have a lot of real emergencies.... Motor vehicle accidents, patients with multiple injuries, head injuries, chest injuries, abdominal injuries, limb injuries. Now, those patients are priority. Those are really accident and emergency patients," he admitted. 

 

"One patient like that could occupy two or three doctors, two or three nurses at times, for two or three hours. So, I mean, you don't have to understand what will follow after that. It means that our patients who we refer to as our whole patients, they are going to have to wait."

 

He said the hospital is ensuring there is adequate staff at the accident and emergency area to separate priority patients. 

 

Dr. Fray was speaking Thursday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106.