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.

Queensway Carleton Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) has launched the ED Xcellence Project to improve patient safety by reducing wait times. The goal is to make our ED more efficient by simplifying workflows and optimizing resources.

In September of 2024, the team began the project by tackling ambulance offload time (AOT). When an ambulance arrives in the ED, the paramedics wait with the patient until they are offloaded to the ED team. In Ottawa, offload times were among the longest in the province.

Here are just a few of the strategies that were implemented:

EMS Check-In: A new process for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) check-in allows paramedics to present at the EMS offload desk and call the triage nurse directly by phone. It ensures timely and accurate patient handovers.

Offload RN: Once triaged through the EMS triage nurse, a dedicated Ambulance Offload Nurse provides care to patients until they are moved into the ED. This ensures faster ambulance turnaround times and is a more efficient use of resources while continuing to ensure patients receive care from our expert team.

Fit2Sit Program: This program allows patients with non-life-threatening illnesses, who are brought to the hospital by ambulance, to sit in a waiting room chair upon arrival. This enables paramedics to return to the community faster.

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.