Patient Overcrowding at Kingston Hospital Causes Concern

After having a cardiac stress test at Kingston General Hospital, all Brian Olner wanted was some rest. Instead, he ended up spending the night on a bed pushed against the wall in a crowded hallway.

He lacked both peace and privacy, as his daughter Amanda pointed out, with just a curtain separating him from others while he used the washroom or attempted to sleep.

“He was very upset, which is understandable. He was extremely tired after the heart test,” she said.

“It’s super hard to see your family members go through that and know that there’s really nothing that you can do.”

Record number of patients

The Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) has been facing “extraordinary pressure” over recent weeks, pushing its patient count well beyond its 570-bed capacity.

One day last week saw 636 patients admitted – the highest number ever reported, according to CEO Dr. David Pichora.

“We had a lot of patients in sun rooms, [the] gym. Storage rooms were all full. And we had more patients in hallways than we really liked, but that’s what we had to do,” he said.

This doesn’t even include around 800 people KHSC also supports in the community.

This photo gives a sense of the cramped quarters for Brian Olner when he was placed in the hallways at Kingston General Hospital. (Submitted by Amanda Olner)

The latest surge follows consistent year-over-year increases in patient volume, and there isn’t just one reason for it, Pichora noted.

Flu or COVID-19 cases can cause seasonal spikes, but overall trends stem from population growth, an aging population and KHSC’s role as a referral center for complex cases from across eastern Ontario, he explained.

Plans are underway for a new hospital near Highway 401; however, that’s still at least ten years away according to Pichora. In the meantime, KHSC is exploring moving offices off-site into rented space to free up room for about 45 surgical and 11 ICU beds.

“We’re literally out of space,” he explained. “We have no choice.”

Employees continue to “soldier on” and have remained “amazingly positive” despite all the stress involved, said the CEO.

“[We’re] asking the public to be patient and grateful for the care they’re receiving and appreciative of our staff.”

Tears and burnout behind closed doors

Angela Hodgson, a registered practical nurse and president of CUPE 1974-representing over 2,800 healthcare workers at KHSC-said overcrowding brings “heartache” for those on the front lines.

“When the doors are closed and you’re by yourself-that’s when you see frustration; you see burnout; you see tears; you see utter moral distress among all staff within this organization,” said Hodgson who expressed uncertainty about how long staff can keep going like this.

A spokesperson for Ontario’s Minister of Health Ema Popovic stated that this year alone provincial government investment in healthcare has exceeded $91.5 billion while funding for KHSC has risen by “over 43%” since 2018 along with efforts meant to help residents connect with primary care services locally.

However Hodgson argued more support is essential pointing out that increasing proposed annual rates by two percent simply won’t cut it-it needs tripling instead if they want genuine improvement.

“Nobody should be receiving procedures or talking with physicians right there mid-hallway behind just one curtain pulled around them,” she commented.
This photo shows a staff door just outside the curtain that surrounded Brian Olner’s bed in the hallways at Kingston General Hospital. (Submitted by Amanda Olner)

Amanda Olner mentioned her father experienced being placed into hallways twice-initially spending over five hours before returning overnight following his stress test until released Wednesday afternoon.

A Facebook post sharing their experience garnered over 750 shares/comments illustrating both seriousness surrounding these issues alongside daily struggles faced by healthcare professionals alike.

No one should provide care within hallways where dignity is compromised; everyone deserves respect she asserted stating “This isn’t merely an inconvenience; it’s fundamentally about patient welfare.”/a>

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