'Disconnected': Province's ER wait numbers not whole story, says top Alberta doc
By the numbers
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Among the four main hospitals in Edmonton, the Alex had the highest LWBS rate, 21.2 per cent.
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In May, the rate was 19.2, in June it was 15.7 and in July it was 20.7.
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At the U of A, it's 17 per cent on the year. The rate in May was 14, but dropped to 12.2 in June before ticking up to 12.9 July.
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The Misericordia Hospital in west Edmonton has a rate of 16.4 per cent on the year, while at the Grey Nuns Hospital in southeast Edmonton, it's 13.2.
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Government figures for July indicate the only Edmonton hospital with 'leaves without being seen' figures at 10 per cent or less was the Stollery Children's Hospital at the U of A site, where just under nine per cent went unseen before leaving.
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At the Sturgeon hospital in St. Albert, figures ran under the provincial average; the LWBS rate is fairly steady over three years, up from seven per cent in 2023 to 8.5 per cent in 2025.
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A previous survey from the AMA indicated almost one in five Albertans — 18 per cent — surveyed who went to the emergency room left before receiving care, but the province pushed back on the survey, saying the AMA sample size of 1,120 respondents does not reflect the full range of patient experiences or health data.
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One of the challenges Thirsk sees is space. In his 25-year medical career in Alberta, he's seen the number of hospitals in Edmonton stay static at four, while the population has doubled.
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Asked about the 2024 cancellation of the planned South Edmonton Hospital, Jones's ministry said a projected cost of $4.9 billion cost would have made it the most expensive hospital in Canadian history.
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'It would have been an inefficient use of funds that could have been more effectively directed toward expanding existing infrastructure, increasing overall bed capacity, and better meeting the needs of Albertans,' said the ministry in its statement.
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Improvements slated for the health-care system in the Edmonton Corridor through Budget 2025 include an investment of $180 million over three years for health capital projects, with $2 million for planning new in-patient towers at Grey Nuns Hospital and the Misericordia Hospital, which will eventually add a total of 700 beds, Jones's office said.
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Another $11 million is earmarked for planning for a new, stand-alone Stollery Children's Hospital, which is expected to eventually free up space within the University of Alberta Hospital for redevelopment, 'potentially allowing for the addition of a substantial number of adult in-patient beds,' the statement said.
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Some $3 million is set aside to support plans to expand the Strathcona Community Hospital.
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Of $17 million to develop urgent care centres across the province, two of those are earmarked for Edmonton. Specified for non-critical health needs, they're expected to reduce pressure on hospitals around the province, the ministry said.
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