The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority has established new “patient flow targets” aimed at ensuring patients don’t spend unnecessary time in hospital emergency rooms.

“These targets are clear. These targets are measurable. Meeting these targets will require all of us working in the system to be innovative, ready for change and accountable while maintaining patient safety as our number one priority,” said Arlene Wilgosh, president and CEO of the WRHA.

The WRHA said the targets it aims to meet by 2015 include:

  • Ninety per cent of all non-admitted patients are to be treated and discharged from emergency departments within four hours;
  • Ninety per cent of admitted patients are to be treated and discharged from emergency departments within eight hours;
  • No patient is to be in an emergency department for longer than 24 hours;
  • All ambulances are able to off-load patients within 60 minutes; and
  • All non-emergent visits to emergency room make up no more than twenty per cent of all ED visits.

Doug Duffy, an emergency room patient, said he’s seen his wait times vary.

“Last time it was about six hours waiting and this time, I was out in about three hours,” said Duffy.

Wilgosh said health care providers need to work together to coordinate care to meet the new targets.

"Overall we have a lot of work to do. In different emergency departments, our degree of compliance with those targets will vary,” said Wilgosh.