‘Aspirational’ guidelines are met only 10 per cent of the time in cases at the second-highest level priority.

Emergency rooms across Greater Toronto are failing to meet acceptable wait times for patients to see a doctor in critical cases, the Star has learned.

Only about 10 per cent of emergency room patients in the Toronto-area health networks deemed to be at the second-highest priority level — conditions such as a severe asthma attack or drug overdose — were seen by a doctor within the recommended time frame of 15 minutes, according to data for the 2014-2015 fiscal year obtained by the Star from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

In Ontario, triage nurses are mandated to use the five-tiered Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) as a tool to prioritize patients’ needs. Patients with life-threatening conditions — triage level 1 — are to be seen by a doctor immediately. According to the guidelines, levels 2 through 5 are assigned time frames ranging from 15 minutes to two hours. Data for level 1 patients was not available because the “immediate” time frame is not defined in minutes.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/01/28/er-rooms-failing-to-meet-wait-time-goals-by-a-long-shot.html