Ontario says hospitals will be able to transfer patients waiting for a long-term care bed to any nursing home without their consent in an effort to free up space.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says the government has issued a new emergency order to allow for such transfers in a bid to free up hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients in need of urgent care.
“This was a difficult decision to make, however, the consequences of not doing so would be devastating if we don’t have the hospital beds we urgently need to care for the growing number of COVID-19 patients across the province,” she explained.
Elliott says hundreds of patients currently in hospital are waiting to be discharged to a long-term care home. She says transfers without consent will only be done in the most urgent situations.
Elliott also says the transfers will only take place if the patients’ medical team is confident the move will not compromise their condition.
However, she noted that although every effort would be made to transfer the patient to an LTC home nearby, that couldn’t be a guarantee.
Ontario’s hospitals have been facing a major capacity crunch as the third wave of the pandemic hits the province hard.
