A long awaited report on wait times commissioned by the Pallister Government says it should reconsider or delay emergency room closures at two Winnipeg hospitals.

The 358-page report has dozens of recommendations on how to improve wait times across Manitoba.

One recommendation says the conversion of the Seven Oaks Hospital emergency department to an urgent care centre should be delayed or reconsidered until the “collateral impact” on patients in the Interlake and Winnipeg regions is evaluated. It also says the full closure of Concordia’s emergency department should be delayed until phase one of the current consolidation is deemed to be successful.

“The hospital/ED consolidation announced in April, 2017 is seen, conceptually, as a positive stride forward, but the devil is in the details—it must be properly evaluated, phased in, and coordinated with rural ED care, under a unifying governance structure.”

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority says in light of the report it will slow down its proposed changes.

It now says it will space out the future closure of Concordia's ER and Seven Oaks' transformation. The WRHA says it's reviewing phase one of the consolidation efforts that included the closure of Victoria Hospitals's ER. Results are expected in the New Year.

You can read the full report online here.