The number of patients leaving BC’s emergency rooms without being treated continues to rise.
A new report published today by the MEI finds across Canada, over 1.2 million patients left emergency rooms untreated last year.
In 2024, B.C. recorded nearly 2.6 million emergency room visits. Of these, 142,961 ended with a patient leaving before receiving treatment, representing 5.5 per cent of all visits.
This marks a worsening trend, with the ratio of patients leaving surging by 71.6 per cent since 2019.
Patients in British Columbia walk away from emergency rooms without receiving care at a rate that is lower than the national average of 7.8 per cent.
Across Canada, 16.3 million emergency room visits were made last year, and 1,267,736 patients were left untreated—around one in every 13 visits.
The deterioration is observed nationwide, as rates of premature departures have risen significantly since 2019.
Last year, the number of Canadian patients leaving without treatment increased by 35.6 per cent.
Unlike most other provinces, B.C. does not track the severity of cases leaving an emergency room untreated, despite many having gone through triage.
This lack of data leaves policymakers and hospital administrators in the dark about where to focus efforts to diminish the number of patients leaving untreated.
The MEI researcher emphasized that patients forced to delay or forgo care often end up suffering from worsening conditions, which lead to more complex cases.