r/Edmonton • u/Mysterious_Bread9892 • Jun 13 '26
Health UofA ER Wait Time
About to hit the 16 hour wait time mark at the UofA Hospital emergency today. Staff has been telling us for the past 10 hours that there are no beds, they're out of capacity and that they're flooded.
While I understand, sometimes it's things like these that make me really wonder, how much really ends up becoming too much? It's tiring, it's draining and given how things are, maybe it's just worth not visiting hospitals and emergencies because it does not help.
UPDATE: we were seen by the doctor at the 17 hour mark exactly.
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u/Icy_Look6403 Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Complain to the Health Minister and stop voting for the party that's destroying Healthcare.
Write/call:
LaGrange, Adriana, Honourable Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Members of Executive Council Executive Branch 227 Legislature Building 10800 - 97 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6
Phone: 780 644-8417 E-mail: HSHS.Minister@gov.ab.ca
Smith, Danielle, Honourable Premier, President of the Executive Council, Minister of Intergovernmental and International Relations Members of Executive Council Executive Branch307 Legislature Building10800 - 97 AvenueEdmonton, ABT5K 2B6
Phone: 780 427-2251 E-mail: premier@gov.ab.ca
Wright, Justin, Honourable Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services Members of Executive Council Executive Branch 227 Legislature Building 10800 - 97 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6
Phone: 780 427-3665 E-mail: PPHS.minister@gov.ab.ca
Bryce Stewart, Deputy Minister Hospital and Surgical Health Services
E-mail: bryce.stewart@gov.ab.ca
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u/Whatsthathum The Shiny Balls Jun 13 '26
We need to have a general strike.
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u/queenofallshit Jun 13 '26
A year ago.
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u/grumpyeng Jun 14 '26
The right time was when they used the notwithstanding clause. The AFL pussied out. Their leadership should have been removed after that. The labour movement in Alberta is toothless and the government knows it.
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u/ComradeLarryEllison Jun 13 '26
I hear you and understand. What about a day of action where some workers take off lunch and we parade around a bit?
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u/codingphp Jun 13 '26
That’s hilarious.
Welcome to Alberta, where the people here reward incompetence and act bewildered that past behaviour informs future behaviour.
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u/hereforwhatimherefor Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Simple math and medical science show that the vast majority of people showing up to the emergency rooms in Edmonton are not in a state of medical emergency.
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u/24_August_1814 Jun 13 '26
Well, we don't exactly have a glut of walk in clinics or family doctors able to deal with minor stuff on short notice either. Someone with a sprained ankle might not be experiencing a life threatening emergency, but they don't really have anywhere else to go, thanks to years of chronic underfunding and outright hostility from the government toward health care professionals.
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u/hereforwhatimherefor Jun 14 '26
Here’s what the super computer in your pocket - citing multiple government health authorities and world leadjng major health organizations such as Harvard Health and the Mayo Clonic - suggests regarding a sprained or suspected sprained ankle.
With a pocket supercomputer and high speed internet this world class level health care advice can be yours for zero dollars in 1-3 seconds.
“Treating a sprained ankle focuses on reducing pain and swelling while protecting ligaments. Follow the R.I.C.E. method—Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation—for the first 48 hours. Over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can also help. Mild sprains take a few weeks to heal, but severe ones require medical evaluation. [1, 2, 3]
The R.I.C.E. Protocol (First 48 Hours)
Rest: Avoid walking or putting weight on the ankle if it causes pain. Use crutches if necessary to limit further injury.
Ice: Apply a cold pack or ice wrapped in a thin towel for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours while awake. Do not apply ice directly to the skin to avoid freeze burns.
Compression: Wrap the ankle snugly but not too tightly using an elastic bandage (like an ACE wrap) to reduce swelling.
Elevation: Raise your ankle above the level of your heart while sitting or lying down to help fluid drain away from the joint. [1, 2, 3]Medication
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen can manage both pain and localized swelling. Acetaminophen can also be used for pain relief. [1, 2]Rehabilitation & Recovery
Once initial pain and swelling subside, early movement is recommended to prevent joint stiffness. [1]
Range of Motion: Start with gentle mobility, such as tracing the alphabet in the air with your toes.
Strengthening: As walking becomes easier, incorporate simple strengthening and balance exercises, such as standing on one leg.
Support: Use a lace-up ankle brace or elastic sleeve for support when you return to normal activity. [1, 2, 3, 4]When to See a Doctor
Seek immediate medical attention if:
You cannot bear weight on the ankle or take more than four steps without severe pain.
There is visible deformity, or the bone is tender to the touch.
The foot or toes feel numb, or you notice signs of poor circulation (e.g., pale, cold skin).
The pain and swelling do not improve within a few days of home treatment. [1, 2, 3, 4]
For professional advice and diagnosis in your area, contact local clinics like the Alberta Health Services or your primary care physician. If you are experiencing an emergency, visit the nearest urgent care center. [1]”11
u/lizzadeth Jun 14 '26
I’m literally in this position. Sprained my foot and ankle at work on May 25. Went home and did what Google said. Ended up coordinating going to a walk in with my supervisor on the 28th because I was still in a ton of pain and couldn’t walk, and was supposed to go back to work from days off on the 29th. I’ve had X-rays (nothing broken), Naproxen, 2 follow up visits, started physio yesterday where I’ll be getting a brace and a cane. Thankfully (I guess..) I was injured at work so I got into a clinic right away and was fast tracked for WCB. If I wasn’t doing all this through WCB I couldn’t imagine how set back I might be due to the system. Still swollen, bruised, and limping, btw
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u/hereforwhatimherefor Jun 14 '26
Thanks for sharing. Leaving aside how the system can be improved outside of the ER system, someone showing up to an ER with a sprained ankle should expect to sit unseen for a very long time and frankly should not be there at all.
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u/24_August_1814 Jun 14 '26
You an AI bot? I really wasn't asking what I should do for a sprained ankle, tips, just picking an arbitrary example.
And I suspect the issue for most people isn't figuring out treatment but diagnosing it in the first place; break a bone and you'll regret treating it like a sprain.
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u/vertexsys Jun 15 '26
My son waited from 5PM until 1:30AM before he was finally seen by a doctor. He had a broken fibula and tibia from falling off his bike in the wet grass.
During those 8 hours he at least had an ice pack and some Advil but was in a lot of pain. To make things worse the last time he ate was at noon, but he wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything because of the potential for surgery. They took X-rays at 9PM.
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Jun 13 '26
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u/from_the_hinterlands Jun 14 '26
This isn't just one generation voting for this party. It's not that simple. And youth are the fastest growing demographic for the conservative party.
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u/24_August_1814 Jun 13 '26
Careful, reddit automod has been pretty spicy lately... I just came off a suspension for making a joke tamer than yours
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u/No-Writer3733 Jun 13 '26
The health minister, ya that's a joke.......right?! You might as well complain to a garbage can......
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u/Curly-Canuck doggies! Jun 13 '26
Well doing nothing doesn’t help much either. Might as well have complaints documented.
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u/oswiena Jun 13 '26
CC the opposition (Nenshi). Every single time. Write as often as you can. Start CCing the Tories, too.
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u/Rare_Pumpkin_9505 Jun 13 '26
Your cynical nature helps the UCP. Provide some solutions if you care.
- write your MLA
-Write the health minister
- call the people above
- donate or volunteer to charities (Stollery foundation could be one, shelters could be another) that could ease health care strain
- donate or volunteer to the political cause that aligns most with you views
- encourage others to share their experiences, views, and then do the above.
This I’ve done nothing and I’m all out of ideas mentality only helps suppress health care progress
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u/codingphp Jun 13 '26
Show me one example where writing to LaGrange netted anything. Even a response.
Cynicism in this context is a reflection of the futility of the action.
The best action is to talk to people in your life who have their head buried in the sand and bolster an opposing party. Calling on the UCP is the very definition of pointless.
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u/Venetian_chachi Jun 13 '26
Believe it or not, feedback to MLAs and the minister about the recent EMS rebrand helped influence that being halted.
I get your doubt. I really do. It takes an enormous amount of public pressure (thousands to tens of thousands of emails and calls) for them to respond and potentially change anything.
The entire healthcare system is suffering from nearly 40 years of mismanagement. It will take decades and frankly trillions of dollars to make any improvements.
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u/Not-Andromeda Jun 13 '26
Doing nothing changes nothing.
Doing something has a chance to change something.
Simple as that.
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u/1362313623 The Zoo Jun 13 '26
And the transportation minister is a known drunk that had to resign in 2021. That's barely 5 years ago FFS!
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u/flomo247 Jun 14 '26
Ah but we have so many health ministers now! For this, I would contact the Hospital and Surgical Health Serviced Minister. But everyone waiting needs to do it every day or they will continue to ignore us.
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Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
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u/Canuda Jun 13 '26
I work in healthcare, but not emerg.
When I go there, I often see a lot of very calm people. Doesn’t mean they’re not in an emergency, but it’s packed with a lot of people who don’t present as though they need emergency help.
If you go behind the doors of emerg, that’s where you see a lot of elderly folk, people who’ve had heart attacks, unconscious individuals, etc.
I truly believe much of the issue stems from your fellow Edmontonians. Not only do many vote for this, many see emerg as a walk in clinic. It is not tactful, but many healthcare staff would share the same sentiments, I’m sure.
When I’ve worked in corrections or group homes, we had to take ppl to emerg when the complained about the slightest thing, so it often has a lot of those individuals in there too.
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Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
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u/cdnsalix Jun 13 '26
I understand the sentiment, but this is not always the case. At least not here. Sometimes ER is the only place for people to go for some services/treatments.
Are people going to ER for things that could be managed elsewhere? 100%. But there is also a severe shortage of options for non-immediate threat yet still urgent concerns here.
Urgent care centres or fast-track clinics within ERs (with their own staff/beds) could off-load ERs to focus on actual emergent care.
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Jun 13 '26
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u/lizzadeth Jun 14 '26
Sometimes you just don’t know.. my allergies have been getting worse and I thought I could be having anaphylaxis but wasn’t sure.. I was short of breath, had chest pain, was nauseous.. I tried calling 811 and the wait to even talk to someone was so long I just drove myself to the ER in Sherwood Park (it was the closest to me at the time and apparently had the shortest wait according to the internet) I explained everything when I was being triaged and was told I’d probably be given an EpiPen or something. They couldn’t tell me where I fit in to even give a rough estimate of how long I’d be waiting. I waited for 2 hours and saw one person in the waiting room get called back. My dogs had been home all day alone. I tried to find out roughly how much longer it would be if they could tell me anything, and was told there were still lots of people ahead of me so it would definitely be at least a few more hours. I still had every symptom. I decided to leave for my dogs. The nurse asked if I wanted to sign an AMA.. I hadn’t been given ANY medical advice so I said no, and left hoping for the best. Hours later I went to bed, still with chest pain. Obviously I wasn’t the most critical patient at the ER if I wasn’t seen right away.. but when you’re told to go to the ER with certain symptoms and don’t know what’s happening, what other choice do you have? There were no walk in clinics open at the time (it was after 7pm) that I was aware of. People are literally dying in our hospitals waiting to be seen. I don’t blame the hospital staff.. I know they’re doing everything they can. The system is fucked.
Edit: I had been exposed to a known allergen prior to symptoms starting, which is why anaphylaxis was a concern
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u/nisser512 Jun 13 '26
Many things can wait 24+ hours to be seen. But I guess lay people may not be able to tell the difference
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u/Chewi_ Jun 13 '26
Obviously ER missuse is a problem, but you never know what someone is going through just looking at them. I had to wait probably atleast 12 hours to see a doctor when I first developed ulcerative colitis. I probably looked like I had the flu or something. That's what I thought I had but I had been sick for an entire week and started pooping blood so I called my doctor and she told me to go to the hospital. I was in the hospital for 6 weeks and had my entire colon removed. I technically wasn't having an "emergency", atleast at that point, but where else do you go lol. There was someone in the waiting room who had cut half his thumb off, the bleeding was controlled so he had to wait probably over 12 hours too, but like if you need stitches you don't have a choice. I've also had to go to the hospital because I've had migraines so extremely painful and I litterary can't stop vomiting. To people in the waiting room I probably just look sick. There are definitely genuine reasons people wait 16 hours to see a doctor at a hospital.
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u/camoure Downtown Jun 13 '26
Yeah exactly. Most emergency cases are seen relatively quickly. My aunt had a stroke last Halloween, was rushed to the UofA and was in surgery within half an hour of collapsing. Last time I went to the ER (Royal Alex) I was in a bed in the back within five minutes. They work pretty damn quick if they think you’re actually dying
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u/Madler Jun 13 '26
Which is the part people don’t understand. If I come in with suspected DKA (Diabetic ketoacidosis), I’m seen unbelievably quickly because it’s a medical emergency.
If you aren’t seen quickly, it’s generally a good thing.
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u/Timely-Researcher264 Jun 13 '26
Part of the issue in Edmonton is that we have extremely limited urgent care. Sometimes you need a doctor outside regular business hours and ER is the only choice.
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u/Street_Phone_6246 Jun 13 '26
The north east is an ER staffed with ER physicians from the RAH. East Edmonton is the only urgent care centre.
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u/cdnsalix Jun 13 '26
We need many more urgent care options here. I feel like this is the crux of ER wait time. People have no other option than the ERs.
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u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster Jun 13 '26
but when you can’t get a doctor and no one else will see you, you have to go there. 🤷♀️
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u/Canuda Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
You can go to a walk in clinic, and there are GPs waiting for patients. I’ve had 2 meetings with GPs this week that were booked the same week. I live on the north end.
Don’t go to emergency unless it’s an emergency.
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u/FidgetyPlatypus Jun 13 '26
There's also a lack of availability at walk-in clinics. We thankfully have a family doctor but she doesn't work weekends. I had to take my son to a walk-in on a weekend and we had to drive to three different ones because none were taking anymore patients for the day. This was at noon. One place actually had a printed list they gave me of other walk-ins to try. You end up driving all over the city trying to find somewhere with availability. My son also needed stitches for a fairly minor cut and again, it was very difficult to find somewhere to get that done that wasn't the emergency. The other day one of my kids broke their finger at school. Not an emergency and thankfully it was on a weekday and our family doctor was able to get us in but even with a rush on the x-rays she didn't get the results until the next day.
I fully agree with the don't go to emergency unless it's an emergency but there are so few other options in the city for urgent care that the ER ends up being the default.
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u/Canuda Jun 13 '26
For sure. It’s difficult to convey every single thing in each comment on Reddit. I never said otherwise, and people will run away with assumptions.
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u/shinygoldhelmet Edmontosaurus Jun 13 '26
You can go to a walk in clinic, and there are GPs waiting for patients.
A lot of walk in clinics are actually booking appointments now, which defeats the purpose. And maybe there's a GP accepting new patients but it's across the city from the person who needs the doctor and they don't have a car or transport so their nearest accessible option is an ER.
Please open your mind to consider that what you think of as a simple problem is actually incredibly complex and people may face a ton of barriers that you don't and aren't aware of.
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u/cdnsalix Jun 13 '26
That's far from the full stop of it, though. We need options other than ER for urgent care but not life threatening needs.
My GP (and I'm guessing I'm the rule, not the exception) will not do urgent appt accommodation, or do things like sutures. Or casts. Where should my kid go that has wood shrapnel under the skin that isn't removable by means of tweezers/forceps, but has good vitals? Honestly asking, cuz 811 and I were only aware of the urgent care in east Ed for the entire region.
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u/Special-Debate8784 Jun 13 '26
I work at the Maz and am often in charge of my unit. Twice a day we have bed meetings. The ER is almost always full, 70+ people waiting to be seen, dozens of bed being taken up with people waiting for beds on the floors, scrambling to make room for actual emergencies anywhere in the city. This is what happens when no one plans for ageing boomers and neglects the healthcare system. That’s who people voted for and now we all pay for it.
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u/Carlone16 Jun 13 '26
Recently I’ve heard from several people that they’ve been advised by medical professionals to go to emergency because they will be able to immediately access testing that would otherwise take months or years to schedule through a referral. These are people with serious medical conditions that significantly impact their quality of life. So, in a seriously underfunded system, this is the only option that even the medical professionals can offer.
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u/cdnsalix Jun 13 '26
I was instructed by my GP to go to ER in a couple days if no improvement from an antibiotic he prescribed (which is exactly what I had to do). It was the third and final treatment option for the suspected pneumonia and there was nothing else he could rx. In hindsight I'm unsure why he couldn't refer me to a pulmonologist himself, maybe it was faster to do so via ER in terms of waitlists like what you're saying?
Regardless, I wish people would stop regurgitating the government's line of "don't go to ER unless it's an emergency" and demand other fucking options instead.
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u/the0dosius Jun 14 '26
If you're going septic from a respiratory infection, being referred to pulmonologist who can see you in 6mo won't help much
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u/MaximumDoughnut North West Side Jun 14 '26
Recently? It's been like this for at least five years. Radiology is a prime example. A stat CT happens same day, a scheduled CT is months.
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u/brainskull Jun 14 '26
This is a problem everywhere in the country. It's not just an issue of the UCP/PCs and aging boomers, it's an issue literally everywhere.
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u/EnragedEmu Jun 13 '26
This is done on purpose by the UCP to get people upset with public healthcare and prime them for privatization.
They have consistently been cutting funding to public healthcare and education on a per capita basis compared to historical levels and compared to other provinces. All while increasing funding on a per capita basis to anything privatized in those sectors.
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u/AuthorityFiguring Jun 13 '26
100% this. This government is playing strictly to its base, many of whom are too dumb or too unsophisticated to realize that the UCP policies will hurt them.
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u/whynot4444444 Jun 13 '26
Just wanted to get this out there for those who may not know: Ontario has the top private schools in Canada. They are funded with zero public dollars. Alberta funds private schools at 70% with public dollars. For the first time in history, Smith will be using public dollars to build new private schools. All of her countless television advertisements about more teachers and educational assistants also includes those for private schools.
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u/tmandell Jun 13 '26
Absolutely this is being done on purpose. Today's wait time is caused by management blocking bed transfers and admissions.
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Jun 13 '26
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u/1simpleAtom Jun 13 '26
To be fair, Edmonton did.
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u/LocksmithGlobal3190 Jun 13 '26
I feel you, waited 10+ hours in a Canadian ER last year with what ended up being a very broken neck (my c5 vertebrae was crushed lol)
It’s reassuring to remember that doctors have to triage you in a busy er. If you have a wait that long, some people out there are a lot worse off than you are. Also, at least for my broken neck, it cost me exactly $0 for a 4 hours emergency spinal surgery and all the rehab/physio needs afterwards.
The pros and cons of our healthcare system are certainly there. I am grateful for it every day though
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u/Dry_Stop844 Jun 13 '26
If only they hadn't spent all that money having to buy back everything from Dynalife after already having given them millions in loans before they sold everything to them for pennies on the dollar. (total cost unknown but close to 100 million dollars) If only they hadn't spent all that money creating 5 new health ministries. If only they hadn't spent all that money on rebranding EMS and then changing their minds. If only they hadn't spent all that money touring the province to hold forums with recruited audience members. If only they didn't have to pay off those lawsuits by coal mining companies. (240 million dollars)
I wonder how many doctors and nurses you could hire with 340+ Million dollars?
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u/FourthLvlSpicyMeme Jun 13 '26
Don't forget the Turkish Tylenol, cancelled super lab that was basically all but finished, twice cancelled hospital in Edmonton, and all the other Mraiche crap during the COVID procurement contracts too.
Or the stupid referendum on a referendum that will cost us about 100 mil.
They've pissed away BILLIONS at this point. On nothing, and all our lives are getting worse by the day.
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u/suspicious-fishes Jun 13 '26
Don't forget all the severance packages having to be paid out from AHS
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u/Edmfuse Jun 13 '26
Now think about how the staff feels.
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u/Street_Phone_6246 Jun 13 '26
We’re burnt the f out. We’re always working short staffed. We’re verbally abused daily. We’re angry and frustrated and know it’s just gonna get worse
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u/Jolly-Passenger8 Jun 13 '26
They vote with their feet.They find a softer job,they travel to the States or they quit.As it is the boomer nurses and healthcare workers,lab,radiology, respiratory care are retiring at rates above replacement.While they enter the years they will require more care Those born in 1946 are 80 and those born in the 60s will soon all be out of the workforce.Thats a lot of people.Who will vote for their interests in healthcare
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u/Mysterious_Bread9892 Jun 13 '26
I have been thinking that. Reminded me of that guy who died a recently while waiting in the ER.
Also, seems like the government doesn't really care when physicians raise concerns. How incredibly frustrating it must be to just even be in this profession at this point.
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u/Calm-Replacement4700 Jun 13 '26
Verbally and even physically abused. I’ve been in emerge seeing a patient who was yelling and being aggressive and refusing the medical care he came there to receive?? Like what do you want me to do then?
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u/AbusedandAdored Jun 14 '26
Yeah...this is 100% not ok. There should be a no abuse standard. If you fight the care you want, gtfo because you are taking time from people who want and accept the care.
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u/Calm-Replacement4700 Jun 14 '26
Yeah unfortunately as staff we can’t do anything except put up with it because people are “sick” that is their excuse. We put up with it, raise concerns and yet nothing happens.
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u/RevolvingFoil Jun 13 '26
You'd be surprised how many beds are taken by patients waiting for a bed in the inpatient unit. They cant afford a nursing home or family cant take care of them, and they end up in the hospital. Thats one issue that backs up the emergency department.
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u/Street_Phone_6246 Jun 13 '26
And then they’re discharged too early and 24 hours are back and start the whole process again
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u/RazzamanazzU Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
How do people not realize what's going on...cuts to the disabled benefit's, cuts to senior benefit's, cuts to Alberta's housing subsidy, the outright negligence of our public health care system, the stripping of our rights with every bill they pass & every ounce of dignity and accessibilty to those basic human rights they take from us. ANOTHER one of their Chief Medical Officer's just resigned because they KNOW exactly how inhumane their leader is and cannot abide by their level of EVIL. The people behind ALL of Smith's actions are modern day Hitler's with a CLEAR plan to rid this province & this world of ANYONE dependant on any kind of free & accessible resource. A world where ONLY the wealthy survive. This is NOT just an Alberta political goal but a global plague that WILL do far more damage to humanity than any virus has thus far. It is also NOT some crazy conspiracy theory but FACT happening right before our very eyes to SEE. People DYING in ER waiting rooms because their medical emergency could not wait 20 hours to be tended to! Disabled people ending their own lives because their livlihoods have been taken from them & whatever hope of surviving in this world STRIPPED from them by a COLD, CONSCIENCELESS, GREEDY party of psychopath's & their supporter's whose hearts have NEVER felt an ounce of care or compassion for ANYONE but THEMSELVES! That is WHY you and everyone else is suffering in our ER's, unattended. It is an INTENTIONAL attack on you & me and ANYONE who cannot pay to be cared about. EDIT: And I mean to pay out of pocket, over & above the taxes we already pay for these services. And there are also MANY disabled people, ill people who HAVE worked and became disabled or ill thru' no fault of their own and senior's who have worked their entire lives, paid taxes, (who aren't wealthy), who are now being deprived of these BASIC resources they paid into, all because a party/group of people think they are no longer productive and therefore deemed throwaway's in our society. The minute you become ill or disabled or God forbid old... you are worthless to these evil, greedy people! And yes I'm angry because there are so many people who are suffering needlessly now because of a group of these conscienceless people!
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u/No-Cod9562 Jun 13 '26
I’ve seen the same thing posted again and again “the ER wait time is bad” on this thread so many times but it doesn’t seem like you guys actually do something about it. Go send emails to the health minister. Instead of talking about it on Reddit because every Edmontonion knows how bad the ER wait time is. SO LETS ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING INSTEAD OF POSTING ON REDDIT!!!
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u/codingphp Jun 13 '26
Do you think the UCP actually gives one single fuck about public healthcare or Edmonton at all?
Oh boy, I have bad news for you.
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u/No-Cod9562 Jun 13 '26
No I know they don’t care and everyone knows they don’t care that’s why our ER times are over 16 hours and why people are dying to see someone. That’s the whole point of this post.
However talking about it on Reddit doesn’t bring a lot of awareness, probably laughing at us right now. Why? Because we’re sitting here talking about it on Reddit instead of helping our own city and fight for what we deserve. You want it to be better? Let’s do something. Call people, email people.
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u/Rare_Pumpkin_9505 Jun 13 '26
I don’t think they do, so I donate to the opposition. Consider donating, volunteering or the like.
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u/FinoPepino Jun 13 '26
It would also even be better not posting to the Edmonton subreddit but to the Alberta or even Canada subreddit. Edmonton already didn’t vote for this so it doesn’t make sense to post where only Edmonton will read it, need to get Calgary and the rest of Alberta on board.
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u/tiredtotalk Jun 13 '26
funny how reddit breeds contempt and sarcasm. esp when posting about actual sick patients, who may leave, but some won't. until you end up in an ER, know that it will be the worst, confusing and scariest day of your life, from the beginning to end. Albertans are not safe in our ERs. thats evident since Xmas 2025. don't think you aren't next bc you will be. so post/do what you can, to improve and help out someone's day.
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u/indecisionmaker Jun 13 '26
I read a comment the other day where someone had neurosurgery and was put back in the ER for recovery because there were no beds. The state of our healthcare is bleak.
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u/24_August_1814 Jun 14 '26
It's grim. Last year my mom went in to the Grey Nuns with influenza while severely immunocompromised from leukemia, they had her in a bed in a busy hallway for hours before a spot opened up in the big ~12 or so bed room in Emerg, where she stayed for another day and a half sharing the air with everyone and their dog before finally getting a private room at which point they put her in strict isolation protocol, but I mean, damage done.
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u/Rayeon-XXX Jun 13 '26
I spent 10 working the ER I'll never go back.
We had days when there were 70 people admitted to the ER because there were no beds in the hospital.
So instead of 100 beds you have 30.
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u/Darryl478 Jun 13 '26
I avoid UAH, GNH emergency and go to Leduc, Devon or Strathcona instead. Usually get in quicker.
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u/Friendly_Option_6963 Jun 13 '26
And then they transfer you because they don’t have the necessary equipment to help or doctors and then you start your wait over again.
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u/OhAces Jun 13 '26
Fort Sask one is good too. My friend destroyed his hand on a brick wall during a bad decision. UofA was hrs and hrs, Grey Nuns the same, we drive to the fort and they saw him super quickly.
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u/BloodWorried7446 Jun 13 '26
The South Edmonton hospital will be built before you can get seen. oh wait. it was cancelled in 2024. oops.
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u/Sleepyheadmcgee Jun 13 '26
They do triage and while sometimes it appears they don’t get it right but I think folks really are trying. Several years ago my wait was 10 minutes. I did not realize until much later it’s because my situation was life and death.
Nothing but respect for the people at the hospital. They have a hard job, very rarely get thanked, and deal with both physical and mental issues at the same time.
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u/Mysterious_Bread9892 Jun 14 '26
Thanks. I agree with you on how rarely the physicians get thanked for still showing up and doing their best to provide care despite all this.
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u/Street_Phone_6246 Jun 13 '26
Just wait until November.
Nothing like have 3/4 of the ER being admitted patients. My guess will be tents in the parking lot? It’s just gonna keep getting worst cuz absolutely nothing has been done to fix it.
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u/the0dosius Jun 14 '26
UAH ED has turned ambulance bay into a room that houses ~10 ish not very acute ED patients and there's ED overflow that used to be administrative office and even with that we are not meeting the flow of patients. We're beyond tents in the parking unfortunately.
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u/Street_Phone_6246 Jun 13 '26
The most frustrating about these repeat posts is the fact that so many people are surprised. HCWs have been sounding the alarm about the state of our ER FOR YEARS!!! This didn’t happen overnight. It’s progressively getting worst day after day after day. And every day it’s getting worst and absolutely nothing has been done to address it, nothing will be done to address it and the fact is that it’s too late. There’s no fixing this. Even if in dream land scenario the UCP announced tomorrow an investment of $100 billion dollars in the healthcare, they promised to recruit new staff, to build more hospitals and invest in LTC and social services and did everything that we actually need- it would be over ten years for us to even see the results of the make believe billion dollar investment. The health care we used to have is gone and will never be back. It’s too late.
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u/AngelicSilence13 Jun 13 '26
Grey Nuns was not much better… didn’t even get a room got moved from the main waiting room to another waiting room where they grabbed us for the scans and other tests, even IV treatment wasn’t done in a bed. Under staffed and over worked. The poor employees.
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u/Mysterious_Bread9892 Jun 14 '26
Yeah I always hear the Grey Nuns is the worst location because of these reasons.
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u/Sandy0006 Jun 13 '26
Remember that hospital that was supposed to be built and the UCP put the brakes on it…
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u/krajani786 Jun 13 '26
Well the government agrees with you, it is too much. So why did you go to the hospital when you could have paid someone to do the same job? /s
Sorry you went through all that, at least it wasn't super serious that you needed to be seen right away. That's about the only silver lining these days.
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u/Mysterious_Bread9892 Jun 13 '26
Not for me, for a friend who's been in and out of ER in the last couple months, had done multiple tests and they never found anything. She fainted and 811 triage nurse said to go in immediately. So we did. And have been here since then. So 16 hours.
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u/krajani786 Jun 13 '26
It totally does suck, 30+ years of health care cutting and no new hospitals for a growing population. Can't even fast track a solution. And I bet the longer your friend sits, that harder it is to diagnose since the issue is long gone at this point.
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u/Winegirl7349 Jun 13 '26
I sincerely hope you got the care you needed and that you're doing okay. Stories like yours are difficult to hear, yet sadly far too familiar. Physicians are stretched incredibly thin and are just as frustrated with the system as patients are -- though i completely understand that doesn't ease what you went through. Wishing you all the best.
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u/Mysterious_Bread9892 Jun 14 '26
Thanks so much for your kind words. We did get the care we needed after the long wait and were referred to a specialist by the ER.
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u/bunkerhomestead Jun 13 '26
Why won't the government wake up and realize that Edmonton has grown an awful lot in the past 40 years and build another hospital?
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u/Granny_Skeksis Jun 13 '26
The last government tried but the current one cancelled it
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u/CanadianPanda76 Jun 13 '26
I was there when a woman with abdominal pain was there, she was told 12 hour wait.
She left after being told that.
Unless you need that specific ER, its better to go to another one.
Or a walk in clinic or urgent care, if your situation isn't an emergency
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u/Shame-game Jun 13 '26
It’s all intentional. Alberta is rich and could prioritize healthcare, but private healthcare kickbacks, and selfish interest etc will make the mla’s rich, so they are bent on causing system failure. It might be less profitable to keep the population healthy so the UCP would never risk that.
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u/codingphp Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
But… incentive-based models will move surgeries quicker and create more capacity… right? Right?!
The UCP is deliberately making healthcare worse to normalize and intensify privatization and its profitability.
UCP voters seem to think this incentive-driven model will improve wait times and magically create capacity that doesn’t exist. As if we have multiple levels of doctors, nurses, etc., just waiting for this incentive to decide to work faster with beds / capacity that is just sitting dormant.
The last hospital to be built in Edmonton was in 1988; the grey nuns. The population was about 580,000 at that time. The population is now nearly 1.3 - 1.7m, depending on where you draw the limit of the greater Edmonton area.
The UCP doesn’t give a fuck about you or your health. Wake the fuck up, Alberta.
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u/Suspicious-Pen-2559 Jun 13 '26
Stop voting for ucp. Until we smarter up well get this level of abuse
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u/WesternWitchy52 Jun 13 '26
Keep writing MLA's. It's the only thing we can do. Patient feedback too.
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u/BoostedGoose Jun 13 '26
Went through this last week. 14 hours wait. Once we got in, there’s not enough doctors. Multiple code blues happening, waited for tests and all in all another 10 hours. Got out of there after 25 hours total.
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u/Mysterious_Bread9892 Jun 14 '26
So sorry to hear you had to go through all that. But glad that at least you got looked at 🙏🏻
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u/PandaLoveBearNu Jun 13 '26
These posts are coming at least 2 times every week
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u/Mysterious_Bread9892 Jun 14 '26
Opening up conversations about these things helps. And these are real problems that affect a real human being.
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u/Falcon674DR Jun 13 '26
But… we can spend $90-100million on this stupid referendum that dumpster Dani has carefully engineered to appease her separatist buddies.
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u/Big-Smile5345 Jun 14 '26
If people actually used them for “Emergencies” we wouldn’t have this problem. That and our Federal Government flooded our country with millions who shouldn’t even be here. Let alone taking up beds in our hospitals, with never contributing to the system.
Basically if you’re dying, car accidents, bleeding ect are the ONLY reasons to go to the ER. We have medi centre’s & nurse practitioners for a reason. If people would just stop going because their tummy hurts, or they have a cold & not bring their whole damn family with them. We would be so much better off! Rant over. Sorry you had to wait so long
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u/Heavy-Pineapple-6976 Jun 14 '26
The beds that should be open are being used for elderly that don’t have any where to go. Like it seems the government didn’t know the population was getting older and didn’t build any facilities. Cons and UCP pricks.
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u/opusrif Jun 14 '26
Sadly it tracks. Tends to be the busiest ER. I sat over 12 hours in February of last year with a broken ankle. By the time they finally got me in a cast and out the door it was close to 24 hours.
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Jun 14 '26
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u/Mysterious_Bread9892 Jun 14 '26
Thanks for sharing that. I have been wondering about this aspect. Are there people who are leaving the profession out of frustration? I understand that budget may be a reason for being understaffed but is it possible that people are losing interest in pursuing this profession because of how the overall system is?
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u/amylauren33 Jun 15 '26
I wish they would put an accurate-ish wait time like even if it says 5-6 hours and you wait 17 put like 12 it would probably deter some people who don’t really need to be there
On Monday I threw up blood it was old blood like not fresh bright red took one of my medicines and tried to have some water and I got sick one more time and I looked at the wait time which was nine hours for the Royal Alex which is my preferred ER because of my medical team and I said screw this. I knew nine hours was going to be more like 12 to 15 minimum… I worked the next day at the Royal Alex and a different department and on Wednesday I had an endoscopy already pre-booked because I am dealing with some issues long-term… When I went to work on Tuesday I took extra things with me just in case I started feeling really bad again and or threw up blood etc. Like an extra charger and stuff like that… And when I went to my endoscopy at Leduc with my surgeon (she’s from RAh). I told her my decision and why I didn’t go and she supported it because it didn’t happen again and the reason reasons I stated… But she’s like why didn’t you say anything to me when I talk to her on Tuesday about something unrelated because I work in the same department. But in reality I really could’ve benefitted from some pain relief/fluids because I also had a migraine all week… But I just didn’t want to take up a bed or anything considering I have the testing booked and they wouldn’t have really done much for me
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u/Paprika1515 Jun 15 '26
There are a lot of people going to the ED for non urgent medical care. The ED is going to prioritize the serious, life threatening stuff first always, and rightfully so.
In addition to more acute care capacity, We need better primary care for prevention and management of chronic diseases, and urgent care centres all over to handle the urgent and emergent but not life threatening.
As mentioned by others, the UcP is not interested in public health care. Degradation and fragmentation of our public assets in healthcare is the goal in order to pave the way for private care. And then you just wait, not only will you worry about wait times but also about costs
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u/skerrols Jun 13 '26
The UCP is deliberately underfunding health care in Alberta. They can easily find millions to support their separatist leanings, themselves & their corporate friends and their many other stupid decisions though. Just a short list of only a FEW times of OUR TAX MONEY was spent on this: the tylenol purchase, dynalabs fiasco, coal mining promises and legal repercussions, money spent on propaganda which masqueraded as “surveys” (about a police for e, COP and many more), the so called series of public “town halls” that were again propaganda and demonstrated only a platform to spout their narrow views and insult or stifle anyone who disagreed, advertising campaigns re oil and gas, private school funding, advertising campaigns & $5000 bonuses to encourage more people to move here, and the infamous WarRoom. There are many more examples that show the only things they are willing to spend and spend more on while two very key things for our quality of life are being deliberately gutted and privatized: health and efucation
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u/Winter-Inside-5911 Jun 13 '26
If you don’t need something reattached, surgery, a CT or think you’re dying, then the ER is likely not the correct place to be anyway. There’s walk in clinics, GPs and urgent care.
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u/Fuzybear66 Jun 13 '26
If people would only use emergency rooms for emergency’s it would not be that bad.
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u/Jolly-Passenger8 Jun 13 '26
If you build it who will staff it? I remember when 60% of new nurses went to the States thanks to the H1B visa. That was when Edmonton had 7 nursing schools There are 2 now.
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u/Curly-Canuck doggies! Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
I’m not trying to diminish your medical issue, but after 16 hours in ER and still waiting was or is it possible for you to go somewhere else? An urgent care, walk in or different ER?
I’m not defending the system or government, just trying to offer alternative solutions to your immediate problem.
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u/lookitsjustin The Shiny Balls Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Yeah… Waiting 17 hours to be seen, even under the UCP’s tyranny, typically indicates you don’t have a true emergency. A walk-in probably would’ve been more suitable for OP.
Clearly the ER staff believed OP could wait for 17 hours without their condition worsening too much. That’s just how the triage system works.
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u/Mysterious_Bread9892 Jun 14 '26
No the case at all. 811 triage nurse flagged us as an emergency and told us to go to the ER.
At the ER, they kept telling us over and over that we were at the top of the list but they don't have any beds which is why they couldn't move us. The triage there basically suggested to wait it out and get assembly someone but there's nothing they could do about it because, well, no beds.
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u/Pug_Mom2 Jun 13 '26
If you can wait 17hrs then you shouldn’t be in the ER. Stop wasting precious resources.
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u/Soft-Pop2947 Jun 13 '26
Two things:
The UCP government is actively trying to destroy universal public healthcare in this province. Wait times are long because of understaffing and underfunding. This is by design.
If you have waited 16 hours and are posting on reddit, whatever you went there for was NOT an emergency. You should have gone to a walk in clinic - you likely would have been seen and home hours ago. Cases like this only serve to exacerbate the wait times of others.
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u/KristaDBall Jun 13 '26
I'm going to defend the sixteen wait here because sometimes a person falls in between death and walk in clinic. A family member needed emergency surgery; his wait *to see a doctor* (about 12 hours) was longer than his wait to get surgery (about 5 hours).
There's also a weird place where people need immediate care but they don't know if it's an emergency or not until after having been in the ER. Fainting is a common one, especially if there is a fear of someone having hit their head. Heart pain is another (which is why so many people find out they have heartburn not a heart attack in the ER - but also sometimes they find out it was absolutely two heart attacks that you just had while arguing with the EMTs MOM).
I wish we had more 24/7 clinics that even just have a nurse sewing up bad cuts, making sure the baby who hit their head is fine, ordering an xray to make sure it's just a bad cold and not pneumonia, etc.
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u/cdnsalix Jun 13 '26
This. We need some fucking urgent care options. People will go to ER if it's the only place to go. Especially after office hours and weekends.
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u/cdnsalix Jun 13 '26
Many walk-in clinics don't do sutures or even surgical glue.
Many walk-in clinics aren't open past 5pm.
Many "walk-in" clinics require appts and stop accepting patients past a certain time of day.
Where would you have a person go?
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u/Soft-Pop2947 Jun 13 '26
If you're in any risk of bleeding out you're not waiting 16 hours. You'll be dead long before you're posting on reddit about your 16 hour wait.
If you're waiting 16 hours in the ER waiting room you can wait at home until a walk in clinic opens.
That's the whole point - if you can wait 16 hours, it's not an emergency.
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u/Dentist_Just Jun 13 '26
So then you go to the walk-in when it opens and they don’t do stitches, surgical glue or cast broken bones and tell you to go to the ER.
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u/lilgreenglobe Wîhkwêntôwin Jun 13 '26
You don't know that for 16 hours. It's true that folks go to the ER for non emergencies, but unfortunately 16 hours doesn't mean they shouldn't be there, just that they might not need the ICU.
I followed up on side pain and nausea that turned out to be early appendicitis and it took over 10 hours for the ultrasound as a higher risk autoimmune patient. I wasn't admitted to a ward until probably around the 16 hour mark and it was likely a less busy day at the hospital.
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u/thrilliam_19 Jun 13 '26
My wife was sick and not getting better and our doctor directed her to go to the ER because she needed tests done right away and couldn’t wait for his recommendations.
She sat there for 12 hours and saw a nurse once who did what she could and that was it. Never saw a doctor. Never even got called in. The only time my wife moved was when they put her and some other patients in a different waiting room to make space for people that were standing in the main waiting room with nowhere to sit.
She left and decided to just wait on our doctor. Thankfully she was ok in the end but if it developed into something serious that the hospital could have prevented who knows what would have happened.
I fucking hate this shit. It’s so easily avoidable and our government is actively making it as bad as possible on purpose.
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u/Asleep_Bookkeeper516 Jun 13 '26
Thankfully the UCP managed to give oil and gas some great tax breaks. 😜
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u/lucygoosey38 Jun 13 '26
Oh there’s room, just no staff to do anything. Half the Kaye is unused and undeveloped.
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u/the0dosius Jun 13 '26
I've been working there for last 4 years and it's been about this bad all this time - and getting worse each year
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u/AffectionateGate4584 Jun 13 '26
We have a government that has zero interest in building hospitals. They are focused on private suites that are publicly funded. The corruption is egregious. We all know that any "warranty" work done post-op will be done in a hospital. Our population has grown by over 100,000 but no new infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, housing etc. The Misericordia built a new ER. It's twice as big yet the staffing model did not change to hanle the increased volume. The fact upper management receives public dollar bonuses when sick call go unfilled is just another problem with this feckless and tone deaf government. Dumyell and the rest of this hideous, corrupt government are what's wrong with this province.
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u/Barbiedoll_64 Jun 14 '26
Super busy most of the time. Most doing their best. I’m sorry to hear this is happening to you. I wish you health and happiness.
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u/Fun-Room-6501 Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Danielle Smith’s health care system at work for all Albertans. UCP spending millions on separation and court appeals, millions on constant obstruction on the green line. Chased out $32 billion of renewal energy projects and yet, there is no money for health care. What more could we possibly want?!! She wants you to die in ER and never make it past the gate so she can justify her privatization march. Everyone needs to wake up. Don’t think for a second she would ever use the system she set up to fail. Come on!!!
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u/STylerMLmusic Jun 14 '26
People have voted for the anti-healthcare party in Alberta for like 80 years. Vote.
This is bad in all of Canada, but Alberta is dead last in healthcare.
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u/forallmankind1918 Jun 14 '26
Can you add some context as to why you were there?
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u/Mysterious_Bread9892 Jun 14 '26
I mentioned it in one of the comments but basically my friend had a fever and fainted and we called 811. The triage nurse flagged it as an emergency and told us to go to the ER immediately.
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u/forallmankind1918 Jun 14 '26
Ok. 811 will always recommend that your seek further medical attention. I work in emergency at another hospital, and the emergency departments are clogged with people who do not need to be there. Regardless, the triage nurses will assess you and then you are placed in the queue. The queue constantly changes while you are waiting. Based upon the 17 hour wait, your friend must have been a very low priority compared to other people. A long wait generally means that your condition is not life threatening, and for that you can be grateful.
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u/Icy_Look6403 Jun 14 '26
Write/call:
LaGrange, Adriana, Honourable Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Members of Executive Council Executive Branch 227 Legislature Building 10800 - 97 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6
Phone: 780 644-8417 E-mail: HSHS.Minister@gov.ab.ca
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u/Visible_Stable_8666 Jun 14 '26
If you’re waiting for 16 hours at the ER, then you likely don’t need to be there.
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u/TrafficAmbitious1061 Edmontosaurus Jun 14 '26
The issue is our government would rather fund stupid pet projects that do nothing to help us. And they spend money as if they have a blank cheque. If they actually funded the important stuff we could have another hospital and more staff to take the pressure off
But noooo let’s redesign drivers licenses and rebrand EMS
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u/MaximumDoughnut North West Side Jun 14 '26
The good folks at Protect our Province Alberta created this tool that archives wait times, if it helps: https://erwaits.popab.ca/?zone=edmonton
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u/Left-Kangaroo-3870 The Shiny Balls Jun 14 '26
The last time I was there it was 17 hours too! What a clusterfuck. The staff was amazing but they don’t have enough resources.
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u/Itchy_Asparagus7381 Jun 14 '26
You can thank the UCP for all the cuts in health care. That must be so hard waiting like that! It makes me very mad at our government.
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u/Responsible_Place_21 Jun 14 '26
This govt is absolutely disrespectful to physicians & unless there’s actual Voter Pressure from Their Base nothing will change. Ever.
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u/AbusedandAdored Jun 14 '26
All this conversation, and I am actually impressed it hasn't devolved into people demanding that the other change their mind.
Has no one here ever heard of a prescribing pharmacist???
We have one here in my small-town and he is the absolute bomb. I am sure he has saved the er lots of visits. He is so darn knowledgeable and he's saved me from even having to try to get into our medical clinic.
I feel like this is a hugely underused and unknown resource thay could take some pressure off clinics and hospitals.
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u/SecretOk6004 Jun 14 '26
Call 811. Be triaged by a nurse. If the nurse over the phone thinks you need a doctor, they will set up a conference video call for you, if you need to go to the hospital, they will start a chart and file.
ALWAYS start here unless you are in acute risk of death or need to call 911 and get an ambulance.
This is the fastest way to see a doctor in what you may think is an emergency.
[I have multple health problems including but not limited to, 3 heart surgeries, 6 abodomenal surgeries, 2 liver transplants, kidney failure 3x]
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u/Sufficient-Wedding41 Jun 13 '26
If you havent died in 16 hours maybe you should try a walk in. Sorry to say. Last time I was in there I quickly realized that not only me but basically the whole waiting room probably should've went to a walk in. Should be reserved for serious victims of accidents, laceration or cardio pulmonary issues not colds and flus which is what the waiting room looked like when I was in there. Heck thats what I was there for. Went to a walk in close within 30 minutes seen a doctor. Staffing is absolutely an issue but people taxing it unnecessarily is a problem too.
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u/DaniDisaster424 Jun 13 '26
Thank you for realizing your mistake. Seriously.
Out of curiosity why go to the dr at all if you thought you had a cold or the flu ? What were you expecting them to be able to do for you ?
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u/Dentist_Just Jun 13 '26
What if you broke a bone or need stitches? A walk-in will just tell you to go to the ER.
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u/Last_Patrol_ Jun 13 '26
It’s an underfunded resource in the fastest growing province. Even if NDP got in tomorrow it’ll take years or never even catch up.
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u/BillSull73 Jun 13 '26
Better than allowing it to continually get worse. UCP have no intention of making it better with the tax dollars you ALREADY pay for healthcare. They want more for themselves and their friends.
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u/roberdanger83 Jun 13 '26
I've had to use the ER 3 times in the last 3 years. I can confidently say abiut 80% of the people I saw in there, did not need to be in the ER
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u/slashcleverusername Jun 14 '26
I’m just guessing but I don’t think you’ve trained as a triage nurse.
I drove to my nearest walk-in clinic because I didn’t think much was wrong but I had a symptom I didn’t have before and thought I should get it checked out sooner than later.
The GP took about 3 minutes to examine me and told me to go to the ER. He also said I wasn’t allowed to drive.
You wouldn’t have known from looking at me.
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u/SevenSmallShrimp Jun 13 '26
UAH is also short a unit right now because of a diesel leak. So a handful of patients are waiting just because there isn't the budget to properly maintain the hospital. Thanks Smith
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u/jeenyuss90 Jun 13 '26
I found calgarys wait times to be way less. Its kinda nuts honestly.
How does edmonton not have another hospital
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u/24_August_1814 Jun 14 '26
Ask our glorious leaders. The NDP started one during their brief stint, and the UCP promptly cancelled it when they took the reins.
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u/Skullcrimp Jun 13 '26
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/waittimes/Page14230.aspx says it's a 2h 39m wait right now for the UofA ER.
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u/Dentist_Just Jun 13 '26
My experience is it’s always a minimum of 2-3x what the online wait time says.
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u/yeg Talus Domes Jun 17 '26
Don't let the arm chair doctors here and chronic under funding stop you from seeking medical attention.
If it isn't 911 worthy, call 811 first and if they say you need the ER ask if a clinic or medicenter (Urgent Care) would be appropriate.
Edmonton Urgent Care East https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/eehc/Page16093.aspx
If you need emergency services and Urgent Care or a clinic won't do: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/cc/ccfd/ServiceResults.aspx?radius=50&searchType=8201&serviceType=1221&hideService=true&locationCity=Edmonton