Anyone who has visited an emergency room in Alberta recently is likely aware that non-critical cases involve a long wait, and a recent report backs this up by showing a rise in wait times.
A study from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) reveals that in 2024, the average time spent in an Alberta emergency room was three hours and 58 minutes—an increase of 54 minutes over the last five years.
The median length of stay, from arrival to being transferred or discharged, indicates that half of the visits were longer and half were shorter.
Last year, it was reported that the average time to see a doctor in Alberta’s emergency departments was one and a half hours.
Even with these wait times, Alberta is one of the top three provinces with the shortest durations for emergency visits.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the average time spent in an ER was two hours and 45 minutes, while some hospitals in New Brunswick reported an average of three hours and 21 minutes.
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On the other hand, patients in Quebec experienced the longest wait times, averaging five hours and 23 minutes.
While Alberta has shorter wait times compared to other provinces, the report suggests that this should not lead to complacency—an opinion echoed by the provincial government.
The Alberta Ministry of Hospitals and Surgical Health Services stated, “Despite shorter delays than other major provinces, we know this is still unacceptable.”
They added that steps are being taken to address wait times by increasing hospital capacity and expanding assisted living options. “We are also enhancing the number of family doctors and introducing new urgent care centers throughout the province to ensure patients have alternatives when emergency care isn’t needed.”
Chris Gallaway, executive director of the Friends of Medicare advocacy organization, believes the findings in the MEI report do not capture the entire picture.
“It’s clear our emergency room wait times are very high—unacceptably so,” he states.
“We’re seeing closures across the province, which aren’t reflected in wait times because the facilities are fully closed for extended periods, especially during the summer.”
Gallaway points out that Alberta has the highest demand for emergency services, which indicates deeper issues within the healthcare system.
“It creates a chain reaction; a shortage of doctors and healthcare professionals results in increased pressure on emergency services, leading to situations that require emergency care when earlier intervention could have helped,” he explains.
According to Gallaway, a comprehensive staffing strategy is essential for alleviating the pressure on emergency rooms.
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