The London Health Sciences Centre is renovating both the city's emergency departments in an effort to streamline care and reduce wait times.
Work starts at Victoria Hospital on May 26 and at University Hospital on June 16. It is expected the renovations will last about six weeks at each site.
Both of the emergency departments will remain open during the construction. Officials say patients may be inconvenienced, but it will be worth it in the long run.
In fall of 2015 the LHSC hopes to roll out a new emergency department model of care. The goal is to reduce the initial wait time to see a doctor, improve admission timing and reduce the overall length of stay.
The new emergency departments will be purpose designed to ensure efficiencies.
"After comprehensive work over the past two years to map a new curse and redesign key care processes, LHSC will soon begin to introduce a series of changes in practice and process across the hospital, including a new model of care in the EDs," says LHSC President and CEO Murray Glendining. "Our goal is to significantly improve several key hospital performances."
The planned renovations come at a time when the LHSC must find $26-million in savings. Officials at the hospital say provincial funding falls short of operating cost increases for the fourth straight year.
Hospital officials say they will have to cut the equivalent of 97 full-time staff members.
It is expected the emergency room renovations will cost roughly $2-million.