Number of sick children transferred to open Ontario hospital beds hit high in November

New data from Ornge, which coordinates air ambulances and patient transfers in Ontario, shows the number of pediatric transfers in November was the highest it has been for years.

The number of children transported between Ontario’s overburdened hospitals shot to new heights in November as a triple threat of respiratory viruses piled pressure on the province’s health-care system.

New data from Ornge, which facilitates a portion of patient transfers in Ontario, shows the number of children transported between hospitals for respiratory illnesses in November was the highest level since 2018 — a result of what the Minister of Health called hospitals working together to “balance the load.”

“There are times when a particular part of the province is going to have a higher incident rate,” Minister Sylvia Jones said on Thursday. “That ability to move patients when necessary to other facilities that do not see that surge that particular day is a really important way for us to balance the load in Ontario as we experience these surges.”

The persistent pressure being placed on emergency departments across Ontario, however, could force the province to begin transferring patients south of the border — and planning for that worst-case scenario is already underway.

The data, provided to Global News by Ornge, shows the upward trend began as early as July when roughly 50 pediatric patients with respiratory illness had to be shuttled between provincial hospitals.

By November, Ornge found itself transferring nearly 140 pediatric patients with respiratory illness to other hospitals in an attempt to find an open bed suitable for care.

The increased volume is 150 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels.

“We’ve seen this with older adults, but not with the pediatrics,” said Dr. Michael Lewell, Ornge’s associate medical officer. “This is the first time we’ve seen such a significant volume with pediatrics.”