General Suburban Updates and Rumours

[ookpik]

I wonder if hospital emergency workers are allowed to suggest that people go to an urgent care clinic?

Yes they are. At one time North York General Hospital had a clinic nearby. The triage nurses at Emerg would refer non-urgent incoming patients to that clinic. 

Unfortunately that clinic was open only during regular business hours. Worse, it seems even that clinic is now closed and patients have to go to Bayview Village, about a kilometer to the west, to what's euphemistically called an After-Hours Clinic ["Weeknights: 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Weekends: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ...closed on statutory holidays"]

As I say, this makes no sense when Emerg departments are overwhelmed and overcrowded with non-emergency patients. Clearly there's a need and a demand, yet no one seems to be willing to meet it.