A “frustrating” refusal by the province has not weakened the city’s resolve to launch a taxis-as-ambulances pilot project, Ottawa’s paramedic chief told reporters on Wednesday, explaining that an opportunity may be hiding in what the ministry didn’t say.
The City of Ottawa proposed the pilot last autumn as a way to offset the hours paramedics are waiting at overcrowded emergency rooms. These delays lead to “code zero” events where no ambulance is available for calls.
The trial would have allowed paramedics to send patients with non-serious injuries to hospital in a taxi instead.
“That kind of creative solution is exactly what we need,” said Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. “So, I was a little bit surprised by the fact that the province wasn’t in agreement.”
BC has somewhat of a middle ground. Low-acuity “waiting room” type complaints are allowed to be delivered to the waiting room by ambulance with some paperwork - no further handover, triage, etc.
In practice it works but isn’t too often used in my experience. But it frees up the ambulance faster in cases where it’s used appropriately.