Cutting Ambulance Offload Time: A Major Win for QCH

One of the most impressive outcomes of Queensway Carleton Hospital’s ED Xcellence Project is the dramatic reduction in ambulance offload time (AOT).

In Ottawa, ambulance offload times were among the longest in Ontario, with patients waiting an average of 131 minutes to be handed over to the Emergency Department team. Thanks to targeted improvements — including the EMS Check-In, Offload RN, and Fit2Sit Program — QCH has slashed ambulance offload wait times to just 36 minutes in only eight months.

This progress not only improves patient safety and experience but also ensures that ambulances can return to the community faster, improving emergency response for everyone.

And we’re not done yet — we’re continuing to fine-tune our processes to make our Emergency Department even more efficient.