It has been an issue for years; ambulances kept on standby at emergency departments while a patient waits for a bed, but it seems to be improving.
At least that appears to be the message from a new report on offload delays at Windsor-Essex's three hospitals.
It said since late last year when Windsor Regional Hospital implemented a real-time situational dashboard tracking where beds are available, fewer ambulances are experiencing long delays and are getting back on the road faster.
Between December and March, offload delays were reduced by 6,994 hours compared to the same period the year before. It is the equivalent of having more than three more full-time ambulances on the road.
"This technology and these new protocols help put paramedics where they are most effective -- on the road providing pre-hospital emergency care," said Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Bruce Krauter.
"The reduction in offload times is an example of what can be achieved when area health care providers work together making changes and using cutting-edge technology to be proactive," said Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj. "Every day is different in a hospital setting, and this new tool lets our ambulance service respond to those changes in real time, maximizing resources and optimizing patient care."
While the number of calls is down in the first quarter of the year, the number of patients transported to Erie Shores Healthcare in Leamington has nearly doubled. It has resulted in a decrease in offload times at all three area hospitals.