Page 7 - GBGH Foundation - Mental Health Case For Support

Our community has far higher than average mental ED Wait Times for
health care needs. Why is that? Mental Health Admission

Driven by limited resources, a rapidly growing substance abuse
problem in Simcoe County and many other social determinants of
health including lower incomes and a lack of access to affordable

housing, our region is experiencing two to three times higher than
TORONTO
NORTH SIMCOE
the provincial average for mental health care needs. CENTRAL MUSKOKA

How long do you have to wait for mental health care
in our region? (Hint, it’s the second longest wait time
in Ontario)
Less Than 12 Hours 18-24 Hours 36+ Hours
We have a critical shortage of acute mental health beds in our 12-18 Hours 24-36 Hours

region. During 2019/20, only 31 per cent of mental health patients
*GBGH data compiled from the Decision Support Unit 2022.
who presented to an emergency department in North Simcoe-

Muskoka had a length of stay less than 12 hours, due to the lack of ED Discharge Time to
mental health beds in the region. More than a quarter of patients Mental Health Bed >12 hours
(28 per cent) waited more than 24 hours for a mental health bed.
The provincial average is 9.7 hours.

“We recently had a patient waiting here for 54% 21%
over 100 hours to see a psychiatrist. That’s Provincial GBGH
not helping them get any better and, in some Average Average

cases, it’s escalating their condition because
they are not getting the care they need.”

– MATTHEW LAWSON,
PRESIDENT & CEO, GBGH

MENTAL HEALTH CASE FOR SUPPORT • 7