Niagara Health and Niagara EMS are expanding ambulance arrivals to the Urgent Care Centres in Fort Erie and Port Colborne to help increase capacity in Emergency Departments.
Ambulances will still be taking patients in serious or critical situations to the nearest available Emergency Department, but for patients requiring non-emergency care, they may be transported to Fort Erie or Port Colborne instead.
Niagara EMS Chief Kevin Smith says as the pandemic continues, more people are seeking healthcare services and they are trying to ensure they can continue to meet the need.
"Expanding our ambulance arrivals to our Urgent Care Centres in Fort Erie and Port Colborne is part of our effort to increase capacity in our Emergency Departments and Urgent Care Centres during the pandemic and to ensure people are receiving care in the most appropriate place," Niagara Health Executive Vice President Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive Derek McNally says. "Our healthcare team is committed to providing safe, high-quality care to the people we serve as we work through these challenging times."