Guelph hospital emergency service project moving ahead
GUELPH – Guelph General Hospital (GGH) and the Ontario government announced that construction is approved for the redevelopment of emergency services space at the hospital.
BDA Inc. will spend the next 16 months renovating areas on the first and third floor to create a dedicated area for emergency mental health and addictions services.
“We are thrilled to begin work on this important improvement at GGH, so we can provide emergency services more effectively,” stated CEO Mark Walton in a press release.
“Our current space was built to provide care for 40,000 patients a year and we currently see about 60,000, including an increased number of people requiring emergency care for mental health and addiction- related concerns.
“Providing a dedicated space with specialized emergency services for those patients will be a huge improvement for several years as we take steps to initiate planning for a new hospital.”
Construction of the new mental health and addictions services unit, expected to be completed in early summer 2026, will include:
– a larger and enhanced short-stay assessment unit for monitoring and treating adult patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies;
– a new follow-up service that will increase individual and group counselling to help stabilize patients prior to being discharged and reduce repeat visits to emergency; and
– a new three-bay ambulance garage as well as new patient registration, triage and waiting areas.
The emergency department will continue to be available to anyone who needs emergency care 24/7 while construction takes place.
However, if members of the public need non-urgent care they are encouraged to explore other options at knowyourcareoptions.ca.
In addition, parking will continue to be a challenge at GGH during construction, so plan ahead.
Visitors and patients should consider options like taking public transit, having a friend or family member drop them off, and avoiding peak daytime hours from Tuesday to Thursday.
For more information about the modernization project visit gghorg.ca.
