Alberta health officials to address hospital overcrowding as doctors call for system-wide fixes

Alberta health officials are expected to provide an update today on hospital capacity pressures as concerns grow over emergency room overcrowding across the province. The briefing comes amid renewed calls from physicians for structural changes to how patient flow is managed within Alberta’s health-care system.

Hospital and Surgical Services Minister Matt Jones is scheduled to appear alongside senior health leaders. Officials are also expected to address the death last month of a man who died while waiting for care in an Edmonton emergency department, a case that has intensified scrutiny of wait times and staffing pressures.

The Alberta Medical Association, which represents thousands of physicians, says overcrowding has reached critical levels and is urging the province to adopt long-term solutions. Doctors argue that hospitals are routinely operating beyond safe capacity, leaving emergency departments unable to move admitted patients to inpatient beds.

Earlier this week, more than 300 emergency room and internal medicine physicians signed a letter calling for restored integration and coordination across Alberta’s health-care system. The physicians pointed to recent large-scale restructuring as a factor contributing to delays and communication breakdowns between services.

Acute Care Alberta says it is working on a provincewide response to relieve pressure on hospitals. Measures include setting aside 336 beds to prepare for a severe respiratory virus season and opening designated surge spaces to handle spikes in patient demand, particularly during winter months.