Ottawa (Canada) To Deploy Taxis to Back Up Ambulances

To cope with seriously excessive offload times at overtaxed ERs that are keeping ambulances off the streets, the city-run Ottawa Paramedic Service (OPS) is planning to transport non-critical patients to the hospital by taxi. Under the OPS’ Safe Alternate Transportation Program, patients with ‘low-acuity’ health conditions, like twisted ankles or cuts that require stitches, will be sent to the ER in taxis ordered by paramedics. This will free up their ambulances to respond to other more urgent calls, rather than wasting hours waiting for overworked ER staff to accept their low acuity patients.