London patients left in hallways, Sattler presses Ford for answers

LONDON — Ontario NDP MPP Peggy Sattler (London West) pressed the Ford government in Question Period today on the worsening hallway health care crisis, as patients in London hospitals are being treated in hallways and left waiting for care.

“Speaker, the Premier should read the email he received from a London West resident,” Sattler said. “Kate Reid’s mother was left on a hallway stretcher at University Hospital for six hours in acute pain, waiting for surgery alongside 11 other patients. Two people were forced to sleep in the hallway with no way to dim the lights. This is happening right here in London.”

Sattler said this crisis is the result of a government that has failed to keep up with demand and ignored warnings from hospitals and frontline workers.

“This is what hallway health care looks like right now,” Sattler said. “People in pain, waiting for hours or overnight, without privacy or proper care. And instead of fixing it, this government has stopped collecting data on hallway care altogether.”

Sattler also pointed to the incredibly long waits for specialist care.

“Londoners are waiting months, even years. Janet Bruce was referred to a spine specialist in 2022 and is still waiting. That is not acceptable,” said Sattler. “We need to expand funded hospital beds, mandate safe nurse-to-patient ratios, and make sure every patient has a safe place to go after they leave the hospital. Until this government steps up and delivers that, people in London will keep being treated in hallways when they should be in hospital beds.”