A report finds 14% of P.E.I. emergency patients left without treatment—the worst rate in Canada, nearly double the national average.
Report Highlights Crisis in Island ERs
Prince Edward Island has the highest rate in Canada of patients leaving emergency departments without receiving care, according to a new report from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI). Data obtained through a freedom of information request to Health P.E.I. revealed that in 2024, 14.15% of Islanders visiting ERs left without treatment, nearly double the national average of 7.78%.
Scope of the National Problem
The think tank found that almost 1.3 million Canadians left ERs before being seen by a doctor or nurse last year. Manitoba followed P.E.I. with 13.23%, while other provinces posted significantly lower figures. The findings highlight a widening gap between patient demand and the health system’s ability to respond.
Reasons Patients Walk Away
Long waits and lack of available staff were cited as the main reasons people leave untreated. “If you need emergency treatment in Canada, you’d better be a very, very patient person,” said MEI vice-president of communications, Renaud Brossard. He noted many of those who left were considered lower-priority cases that could have been managed by a family physician.
Impact of Primary Care Shortages
Health P.E.I. medical director Dr. Ken Farion agreed that limited access to family doctors forces patients into emergency rooms for non-urgent issues. “Unfortunately, some feel the ER is their only option,” he said, pointing to shortages of walk-in clinics and challenges in staffing hospitals. More than 35,000 Islanders remain on the province’s patient registry awaiting a primary care provider.
Efforts to Improve Access
To reduce pressure, the province is directing patients without a family doctor to virtual options such as Maple and Pharmacy Plus. Recruitment campaigns for physicians and nurse practitioners are underway. Experts say expanding nurse-practitioner-led and pharmacist-run clinics could divert non-emergency cases away from hospitals, giving ER staff more capacity to treat serious conditions.
Broader Healthcare Implications
While alternative care models may help, Brossard cautioned that they cannot solve every problem linked to ER overcrowding. Still, he argued they could lighten the load for emergency physicians and improve outcomes for patients with genuine emergencies. The report underscores how P.E.I.’s struggle is part of a larger national issue: when primary care gaps persist, emergency departments become the default safety net—and patients pay the price.
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