A new study is shedding light on longer wait times in emergency departments (EDs) for Chatham-Kent (CK) residents.
'Failure, By Design' is a study completed by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) Senior Researcher Andrew Longhurst. He explained that wait times and overall time spent at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) ED are mainly due to chronic underfunding.
"When you're a smaller hospital, these deficits are particularly acute when you have them over multiple years, and it starts to raise questions and concerns about the ongoing financial viability and sustainability of these hospitals and the services they provide to communities," said Longhurst.
He explained that hospitals operating with a revenue under $100 million, which includes the CKHA, have been hit the hardest, and that last year, 100 per cent of hospitals in the St. Clair/ Erie area were underfunded.
According to the research, five years ago, 90 per cent of CK residents admitted to the hospital from the ED had to wait around 18.5 hours. That number has jumped 30 per cent to an average of 24 hours in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
"These are of concern, two of the last three years, including the most recent fiscal year 24-25, the hospital system here has been in deficit," Longhurst said. "When hospitals don't have the resources to increase staffing levels, they are certainly not going to be in a position to reduce wait times for hospital and emergency care."
In 2023, Ontario spent $84.8 billion on healthcare. Longhurst illustrated that although this is a big number, it is actually only equal to 7.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Annually, the funding has increased but remains around 2 per cent less than inflation, which is what Longhurst attributes the chronic underfunding to.
He also discussed the lack of hospital beds, which CKHA has been vocal about.
According to his research, Ontario has 4,352 fewer beds than needed to accommodate its population and its continued growth.
When asked about solutions, Longhurst said the province needs to spend more money on hospitals and develop a capital plan.
His study recommends Ontario spending an additional $3.2 billion dollars on hospitals throughout the province, as well as developing a provincial health workforce strategy and capital plan. This team would be responsible for recruitment and retention.
CK News Today reached out to CKHA, but didn't receive a response.
