Ambulances lined the street in front of Guelph General Hospital after Code Red declared

Monday morning was a sight that is becoming common at some Ontario hospitals – ambulances lined up down the street in offload delays, resulting in paramedic services dipping into a Code Red as no ambulances were available to respond to calls.

Guelph-Wellington paramedics are once again raising a red flag over the number of Code Reds in the area, with some healthcare professionals flagging this as a healthcare system in crisis.

Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSUE) Local 231 shared a photo on Twitter Monday morning of 13 ambulances lined up outside Guelph General Hospital.

This is what 13 ambulances look like. Guelph Wellington Paramedics hitting a reported code red this morning at 10 am. How many code reds is too many? #coderedcrisis pic.twitter.com/MvqKQJdRsl

— OPSEU 231 (@local231opseu) January 23, 2023

“At first it was quite heartbreaking when you would see those types of photos and think somebody, a love one, a family member, required an ambulance in the area and they were unable to get one. It was quite sad,” OPSEU 231 president Nick Di Ruzza said. “At this point, it's more frustration.”

According to Di Ruzza, the situation is the result of a number of factors, including backlog in the emergency department, staffing shortages, a build-up of surgeries and a growing population.

With the Trudeau government meeting in Hamilton this week, he wants the prime minister to address the issue head-on.

“We don't have time to wait,” said Di Ruzza. “Years ago was the time to deal with it, so anything could come in immediately to help the relief. In the meantime, you have patients that are suffering, and no doubt, some have died because of the current crisis."