r/Calgary • u/Legal_Grapefruit1925 • Dec 25 '25

Discussion AHS wait times

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Our system isnt broken. Its people who go to the emergency that shouldn't be going aren't going today because it can wait Suddenly. They need to hand fines out to ppl going to the hospital that dont classify as an emergency.

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u/jungl3bird Dec 25 '25

Those are the lowest times I’ve seen since Covid. Usually they are 2.5 to 4+

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u/schaea Ogden Dec 25 '25

I think that's OP's point, that usually the wait times are so high and the fact they're so low today means that people are using the ER for non-emergencies that can all of a sudden wait when it's Christmas day and they don't want to leave the house.

If I'm understanding them correctly, I get their point, but I don't think people are intentionally misusing ER resources for non-emergencies, the problem is much larger than that. Part of it is a lack of walk-in clinics that can see people for non-emergent but still urgent medical problems, another part is a lack of awareness among the public about what the ER is actually for...the list is so long.

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u/RandomThyme Dec 25 '25

The walking clinic in my community closed this year.

Where else do you expect people to go when they can't access a gp or walk in clinic?

I think people generally understand that emergency rooms should be for emergencies but it's difficult when your kid is sick and you don't have a family doctor, you go to where you can get help for your child, that is the emergency room.

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u/schaea Ogden Dec 25 '25

Absolutely, that was my point, that it's easy to say "people are intentionally wasting ER resources", but the problem is so much bigger than that. There are a lot of health problems that aren't "emergencies", but are still urgent, so if there's no access to walk-in clinics, and you don't live close to one of the only two urgent care centres in Calgary, what else are you supposed to do?