Hospitals across Ontario are now in surge season, and Halton Healthcare says new initiatives are already helping reduce emergency department wait times and improve patient flow despite increased demand linked to cold and flu season.
Halton Healthcare reports overall admissions increase by about 7% between November and March, equal to roughly 90 additional admissions, while pediatric admissions rise by about 6%. To manage these pressures, the organization has introduced several system-wide changes, including a new centralized Command Centre that monitors real-time data, identifies barriers, and coordinates patient movement across its sites. Officials say this approach is designed to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time while easing congestion in emergency departments.
According to Halton Healthcare, emergency department wait times to see a clinician have dropped by nearly an hour compared to last year, from an average of 4.8 hours in November 2024 to 3.9 hours in November 2025, marking the best performance since 2021. The number of patients waiting in emergency rooms for an inpatient bed has also been reduced by almost half, from a daily average of 29 to 15. Additional efforts include an integrated Emergency Department Working Group, expanded online wait-time reporting, the Halton@Home program to support safe discharges, and increased access to preventative care such as flu and RSV immunizations.
Surge season typically runs from November through March, and hospital leaders say they will continue to adjust and expand these initiatives throughout the winter to maintain access to safe, timely, and patient-centred care.
Halton Healthcare operates hospitals in Oakville, Milton, and Georgetown.
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