Sudbury ER wait times on the way down, new data shows

The wait time for emergency care at Health Sciences North in Sudbury continues to shrink, according to the Canadian Institute of Health Information.

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But some people, like Kieran Geverding, say they're still waiting too long to be seen in the emergency department.

“[It’s been a] maximum 14 hours, minimum eight, any time I've ever gone,” he said.

“I just don't think we have enough doctors working in the emergency room at a time.”

However, new data shows the wait at the Sudbury emergency room is typically less than that.

A study from the Canadian Institute for Health Information pegs the average time between arrival and seeing a doctor at about five hours.

That is still high in comparison to similar hospitals where the wait is 3.5 hours.

Lenni Philion said she had to take a friend to emergency not long ago, and found the wait time reasonable.

“You know they prioritize cases based on their severity and whether or not you need immediate attention.”

Hospital spokesperson Dan Lessard said, as of March this year, the wait to see a doctor was down to 3.7 hours.

Lessard noted longer wait times don’t mean people are going without health care. He said nurses and other professionals may give treatment before the doctor arrives.