She lay 5 days on stretcher in ER
Toronto Sun
Fri, May 23, 2008
By KEVIN CONNOR
Mark Degasperis was furious his mother spent five days on a stretcher at Toronto Western Hospital waiting for a room with 25 patients ahead of her -- until the Toronto Sun made a call and she was suddenly moved to a room yesterday.
"They were giving us the same old song and dance why she was in the emergency department with only a sheet draped around her. I couldn't even call her because she didn't have a phone," Degasperis of Georgetown said.
Heather Degasperis, 60, has a dangerous bacterial condition and was sent by her doctor to Toronto Western because it has the experts for her condition.
"She is not well and wasn't able to sleep and she wasn't getting any better. She needed peace and quiet to sleep.
"This is a terrible environment. I suggested taking her to another hospital, but we were told there are long waits across the region and the doctors we need are here. So there was nothing we could do," Degasperis said yesterday.
"I'm angry we pay such high taxes and the more money we throw at the health care system the worse it gets. People shouldn't be lined up on stretchers in the emergency department. If you are sick you should get a room."
Because of patient confidentiality laws, the hospital isn't able to comment on patients, so it is unclear if Degasperis's mother jumped the line because the Sun made a call.
Dr. Bob Bell, president and CEO of the University Health Network, which includes Toronto Western, said the problem of overcrowding has nothing to do with the emergency department.
"The problem is the flow of patients in the hospital. What we need is an alternative level of care for folks who are not ready to go home but don't need acute care," Bell said.
"We are trying desperately to improve the experience folks have, but we need more capacity in the community."
http://www.torontosun.com/News/Toron...46336-sun.html
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