Roughly 1,000 hospital patients in Ontario are getting medical attention in corridors instead of proper treatment spaces on “any given day,” Dr. Rueben Devlin says in his first report to Premier Doug Ford on improving health care and ending “hallway medicine.”

While the retired head of Humber River Hospital notes there is “much to be proud of” in the provincial health care system, his report found it is “too complicated” to navigate after hearing from more than 340 patients.

“People are waiting too long to receive care and too often are receiving care in the wrong place; as a result, our hospitals are crowded,” Devlin, an orthopaedic surgeon, wrote in the 32-page document titled “Hallway Health Care: A System Under Strain.”

“There needs to be more effective co-ordination at both the system level, and at the point-of-care. This could achieve better value (i.e. improved health outcomes) for taxpayer money spent,” he added. “As currently designed, the health care system does not always work efficiently.”

One problem is people with mental health and addictions troubles often go to hospital emergency rooms when they could get better care from a family doctor or community agency, but wait too long and reach a “crisis point.”

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According to one survey last year, 41 per cent of Ontarians who went to hospital emergency departments, and 93 per cent who went to walk-in clinics, were treated for conditions that could have been handled by a family physician or nurse practitioner in a primary care setting. This is often because hospitals are the only health care centre open 24 hours a day.

Devlin found a “pressing need” to integrate care around the patient and across health care providers in every community, pointing to the need to “streamline and align system goals,” with more virtual care, apps and allowing patients more access to their own health data.

Recommendations on those fronts are expected this spring in the second report from the premier’s council chaired by Devlin, an adviser to Ford in last spring’s election campaign and a former president of the Progressive Conservative party who is being paid $348,000 a year for his work.

As the Star reported earlier this month, the government has been considering a plan to create a “super agency” in a bid to better co-ordinate health care. One document obtained by the newspaper said the goal is to create “seamless, integrated care no matter where they (patients) live or what care needs they have.” A source told the Star an announcement is slated for late February.

Devlin’s report noted responsibility for co-ordinating care is “spread across many government agencies, organizations and the ministry with no clear point of accountability to keep the focus on improving health outcomes.”

“There is a fundamental lack of clarity about which service provider should be providing what services to patients and how to work together effectively. Ontario should be getting better value for the money it currently spends on on the health care system.”

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He also called for better use of available technologies and more focus on preventative care to reduce the number of hospital visits, pointing out last year’s health care experience survey of patients found just 16 per cent of Ontarians could make appointments online and fewer than one per cent of appointments were conducted “virtually” over the internet.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said Wednesday her staff is working “closely” with Devlin’s council and has been getting regular updates.

“He’s bringing forward some very helpful insights.”