Alex Timmons, a 26-year-old Montrealer who broke his arm in a bike accident two weeks ago, went to the new McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) superhospital only to be told the new billion-dollar facility did not have the appropriate staff available to treat him.

The new hospital isn't so super, I guess. - Alex Timmons, patient with broken arm

After waiting five hours in the emergency room of the new hospital, Timmons was transferred to the Montreal General Hospital instead.

"The new hospital isn't so super, I guess," Timmons said with a laugh in an interview Monday.

Doctor not available

Timmons broke his arm when he hit a large pothole while riding his bike in his St-Henri neighbourhood and flipped over his handlebars, landing on his arm.

He was able to make his way home and drop his bike off before taking the bus to the new hospital, which opened April 26.

After waiting about an hour in the ER, a nurse told Timmons he may be transferred to the General, which is a trauma centre.

That's exactly what happened, but not until after Timmons waited another four hours at the new hospital.

"They said they didn't have the required specialist team or resident to perform the surgery that would be needed," Timmons said.

Timmons was then transferred to the General Hospital where he saw a doctor.

He was told his surgery would be scheduled within a couple of days and sent home. In the end he waited a week before having the surgery, which went well. He's now at home recovering.

Timmons said he was surprised the new hospital couldn't treat his broken arm.

"It's brand spanking new. I was kind of shocked to realize I had to get sent to what they call an older hospital now," Timmons said.

Superhospital can't fix everything

Paul Brunet, chairman of the board of the Quebec Council for the Protection of Patients, said he's not surprised.

Brunet said people who thought the new superhospital would take care of all medical problems under one roof will be disappointed.

He said the new superhospital's focus is on specialized care.

"The reality is for primary and secondary health care — which includes emergency — the orientation is to send people towards peripheral units rather than admitting people at the MUHC," Brunet said.

"This is not what patients, especially in the anglophone community had thought in the first place, especially when we spent more than a billion dollars for that new hospital."

Brunet said he doesn't blame the MUHC.​

He said mandate for the new hospital was determined by provincial Liberal government in 2006 when Philippe Couillard — now Quebec Premier — was health minister.

The MUHC responded Monday with a statement emailed to CBC.

"The Glen ER is equipped and staffed to deal with most emergency care cases, including bone fractures," the statement read.

"The Montreal General Hospital however, is one of only two designated adults trauma centres in the city. As such, patients with more complex orthopedic injuries are referred there, from other MUHC sites and from non-MUHC hospitals. This has always been the case," the statement said.

