Calgary’s hospital emergency departments are operating under “critical overcapacity” as influenza season intensifies, with health officials warning that conditions are expected to deteriorate further in the coming weeks.
A memo circulated last Friday to acute care physicians across Calgary hospitals says emergency rooms are already stretched beyond capacity, with all funded treatment spaces occupied by admitted patients — creating severe access block and compounding delays in care.
The note, signed by Dr. Catherine Patocka, clinical department head of emergency medicine for Alberta Health Services’ Calgary zone, and deputy head Dr. James Andruchow, highlights mounting strain caused by a surge of respiratory illnesses alongside operational pressures on staff.
Adding to the challenge is a directive requiring paramedics to offload patients quickly in emergency departments so ambulance crews can respond to additional emergency calls. Officials warn that the combination of extreme overcrowding and unpredictable inflows of critically ill patients is resulting in prolonged waits and heightened safety risks for those awaiting assessment and treatment.
The warning follows earlier statements from Hospital Services Minister Matt Jones, who said Alberta’s flu season was expected to peak around Dec. 21, with hospitalizations continuing to rise for at least another week. Provincial modelling also projects respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases to keep climbing until mid-January.
To manage patient flow and reduce risks, hospital leaders are asking emergency physicians to make admission or discharge decisions within four hours of assessment. Doctors will receive automated alerts as that deadline approaches, and emergency department administrators may intervene if decisions exceed the four-hour target.
While acknowledging that inpatient beds may not always be available, the memo emphasizes that timely decisions are necessary to identify system bottlenecks and support safer, system-wide management during the surge.
Frontline physicians say the situation on the ground is increasingly concerning. Dr. Joe Vipond, an emergency physician at Rockyview Hospital, said wait times can stretch eight or nine hours, with some patients becoming progressively sicker while waiting.
Emergency department leadership involvement in admission decisions is uncommon, Vipond noted, but he said the move reflects efforts by administrators to cope with an escalating crisis.
Former Rockyview emergency department head Dr. Eddy Lang said high levels of influenza are circulating as holiday gatherings increase, sending many elderly patients with respiratory complications to hospital. He said admitted patients are often stuck in emergency rooms because inpatient units are already full, creating backlogs that ripple through the system — including delays for paramedics attempting to transfer patients.
Alberta Health Services spokesperson Kristen Anderson said similar memos have been issued during previous high-demand periods, including past respiratory virus seasons and major events such as the Calgary Stampede. She described the four-hour decision target as a standard benchmark and said the memo was intended as a reminder rather than an emergency escalation.
Province-wide, AHS has prepared 130 temporary surge beds for respiratory season, with 123 already opened. Anderson said some inpatient capacity remains available in Calgary hospitals.
According to Alberta’s respiratory virus dashboard, more than 1,600 people have been hospitalized with influenza since the start of the season, with over 100 requiring intensive care. Forty-seven flu-related deaths have been recorded across the province.
