UPDATE: Improvement In Wait Times In The Accident and Emergency Department

The medical team in the Accident and Emergency Department has been working tirelessly in response to the surge in the number of patients presenting for treatment with various medical complaints. At midnight today, March 25th, 2024, approximately 26 patients were waiting to be seen, down from 71 patients recorded midnight Saturday at the height of the surge. At 7am, 11 patients were waiting to be seen in the department. While the average wait time still is still longer than ideal, there has been significant improvement in AED in this regard. We continue to encourage members of the public to use the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS/Help Desk) at 536-4800 as a first point of contact using regular or WhatsApp Calls. From 9am to midnight during the current surge, our doctors will be able to give an initial assessment and provide advice on your next course of action for treatment.

We do expect the surge may continue until Wednesday March 27th , 2024, when the 24-hour Winston Scott Polyclinic at Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael, is scheduled to reopen.

A reminder, life-threatening conditions, under the AED’s Triage System will continue to be seen and treated immediately. These include patients who for example, have life, limb or sight threatening complaints, gunshot wounds, heart attacks, active seizure activity or a patient who needs resuscitation. Other individuals who present to AED during the current surge will experience an extended wait for treatment.

Regular updates will be provided during the surge, and we the QEH management apologise for the inconvenience, as the AED team works to reduce waiting times and offer the best possible care and treatment.