Ontario is improving access to emergency services by investing in nurses who provide timely care to ambulance patients.
“We’re providing better emergency care by funding new nurses who are dedicated to helping patients arriving by ambulance in our hospitals. This means patients will get the care they need while allowing paramedics and ambulances to respond to other emergency calls,” stated Minister HarinderTakhar, MPP from Mississauga-Erindale.
“These committed nurses give patients the care they need and allow paramedics to quickly get back to serving patients in their community. We are proud to continue this program because it allows us to provide better emergency care for Ontarians,” said Deb Matthews, Minister of Health & Long-term Care.
Region of Peel will receive up to 35,040 dedicated nursing hours in local emergency rooms to care for patients who arrive by ambulance. These nurses will help patients who do not need immediate emergency care. Ambulance patients with life-threatening conditions will continue to be given priority by hospital staff.
Region of Peel is receiving $ 1,752,000 in 2012/13 which is a 82% increase from 2011/12 funding.
Since 2008-09, the McGuinty government has funded 915,113 nursing hours dedicated to providing care for ambulance patients.
More than 15,000 nursing positions have been created in Ontario since 2003.
By providing care to patients who arrive by ambulance, these nurses will help reduce the time paramedics spend in hospital ERs, thus allowing them to respond to other calls in the community resulting in faster ambulance response times.
