10/19/2025
Why opening more Urgent Care Centres doesn’t fix ER wait time👇
They sound like a smart solution to divert “non-emergency” visits—but the evidence and experience say otherwise.
🚪Capacity & staffing are limited.
Most UCCs don’t have the tools, other specialists, or staff to handle complex cases—and they’re not open 24/7.
If not positioned properly, they can even pull staff away from emergency departments, worsening shortages.
🏥 They don’t fix the REAL problem: hospital flow.
Crowding happens when admitted patients can’t leave the ED because hospital beds are full.
When our beds are full, we have nowhere to see new patients—and that’s when wait times spiral.
⚙️ Crowding is a system issue.
Too few staffed beds.
Too few nurses & specialists.
Delays in imaging & labs.
Lack of home & long-term care.
UCCs don’t fix these bottlenecks—and may even strain the workforce further.
Emergency teams can handle busy.
It’s crowding that kills.
Fix patient flow.
Staff hospitals properly.
Support care across the system.
Not more doors—better pathways.
Read more: https://caep.ca/empower-2/
