TORONTO - Health Minister George Smitherman says a $109 million program will help shorten wait times at 163 emergency rooms in Ontario hospitals.
Smitherman says a big cause of long waits is people who need other levels of care that aren't immediately available in the hospital, but cannot be discharged.
Almost $40 million will go to "the 23 poorest performing emergency rooms" in Ontario to buy new technology and pay for coaching teams to boost efficiency.
Another $38.5 million will be used for increased home supports to help move patients between hospitals and community care access centres.
There will also be $4.5 million for dedicated nurses to care for patients who arrive by ambulance to help get the ambulance teams back on the road faster.
About 2.8 million people make 5.25 million visits to Ontario's emergency rooms every year. It's estimated that seniors waiting for long term care are occupying almost 19 per cent of hospital beds in the province.
