For people sitting in the emergency room at Lloydminster Hospital, the issue is time.
Five hours.
Seven hours.
Sometimes ten.
Those time frames are frequently reported by patients and families in the waiting room and shared publicly online. They include parents with children, seniors, and people directed to emergency care as their point of access.
When the Saskatchewan Health Authority is asked direct questions about emergency department staffing and wait times at Lloydminster Hospital, the responses help frame how those delays are managed.
What SHA says
SHA confirms Lloydminster’s emergency department is staffed with one physician per shift. Additional physicians can be called in if needed, at the discretion of the physician on duty.
SHA says decisions to add coverage are not based on financial considerations and that patient care and quality are the priority.
Emergency department wait times, according to SHA, depend on multiple factors, including staffing, diagnostics, bed availability, patient complexity, and triage.
Public reporting of emergency wait times was removed because SHA said it was challenging to provide accurate, timely information.
SHA also said Nurse Practitioners in emergency care have been considered, but there are currently no plans to pursue that model in Lloydminster.
These responses addressed the questions asked.
What remains undefined
SHA did not identify any specific thresholds tied to wait times, patient volumes, or acuity levels that would trigger additional physician coverage.
The authority did not define when a five, seven, or ten hour wait would prompt operational changes, nor did it outline what criteria are used to determine when additional staffing is added.
SHA also did not provide details on how “optimizing patient flow” is measured during periods of prolonged waiting.
As described, decisions about adding physician coverage are made on a case-by-case basis by the physician on duty.
Wait time reporting
SHA confirmed that emergency department wait times are no longer publicly posted for Lloydminster Hospital.
Rather than providing estimated wait ranges or triage-based information, SHA said the posting was removed due to challenges in maintaining accuracy and consistency.
SHA did not indicate whether alternative transparency measures are being considered.
Nurse Practitioner model
SHA recruitment materials reference the use of Nurse Practitioners in emergency and acute care settings elsewhere in Saskatchewan.
In Lloydminster, SHA said the model has been considered but is not being pursued at this time.
No timeline, pilot program, or specific barriers were identified in the response.
Use of CTAS
SHA emphasized that all emergency departments in Saskatchewan follow the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale to ensure patients with the most urgent needs are seen first.
SHA did not address whether CTAS data is used operationally to inform staffing decisions during periods of extended wait times.
Outstanding questions
SHA’s responses did not define acceptable emergency department wait times for Lloydminster, did not outline specific triggers for adding physician coverage, and did not provide timelines for potential staffing model changes.
Lloydminster Hospital is the only emergency department serving the city and surrounding area.
Read more: SHA declines to provide key ambulance coverage data for Lloydminster
After living abroad for for more 20 years in 3rd world countries I come home to find Canada a 4th world country. Food quality, education & medical services are all terrible. Best part is, no matter how badly the health care system messes up, there is no accountability. Time for a change!!