Editorial: Tied-up paramedics a symptom of a larger problem

Ottawa paramedics are spending a troubling amount of time waiting for patients to be moved over into the care of local hospitals – and a fix must be found. 
All told, paramedics spent more than 37,000 hours last year waiting in emergency rooms. The issue is that when paramedics arrive, if there isn’t a nurse or bed available for the patient, paramedics must stay with them until there is.
It makes sense; a patient who arrives by ambulance requires a certain level of care and can&