SASKATOON — A specialist in geriatric emergency medicine at a Saskatoon hospital has cut her emergency-room hours by about half, saying prolonged burnout and what she calls "systemwide defects and problems" are being pushed onto emergency departments.
Emergency medicine under strain
The physician, Dr. Brittany Ellis, told local radio she is now beginning patient conversations with apologies for long waits — a sign of the pressure mounting in emergency rooms. Her move mirrors findings from a 2025 survey published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showing widespread reductions in clinical hours and departures among emergency physicians across Canada.
“I’m starting every conversation with, ‘Sorry, sorry for your wait,’” said Dr. Ellis, describing the exhaustion of practising in an overstretched emergency environment.
The CMAJ survey found that:
- 10 per cent of emergency physicians reported leaving the specialty entirely;
- 50 per cent had reduced their clinical hours in emergency medicine;
- 20 per cent had taken time away from clinical duties.
Local consequences and recruitment efforts
Ellis said her experience is reflected locally, with at least half of her colleagues reducing their hours and some leaving emergency practice altogether. Those professional decisions, she added, are not made lightly but are the result of years of high burnout.
The Saskatchewan government has acknowledged the challenge. On Tuesday, the province's Minister of Health reported on recruitment efforts tied to the province's health human resources action plan — a joint initiative that involves the Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency, the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency.
While recruitment and retention programs aim to bolster staffing, front-line physicians say the strain is often rooted in broader system issues that funnel more responsibility and workload into emergency departments.
| Survey finding | Proportion (Canada-wide) |
|---|---|
| Left the specialty | 10% |
| Reduced clinical hours | 50% |
| Taken time off | 20% |
What this means for Saskatoon patients
For residents in Saskatoon and surrounding communities, a sustained drop in emergency-room staffing can translate into longer waits, strained triage processes and fewer specialist resources available at peak times. Geriatric emergency care — the area Ellis specialises in — is particularly sensitive to staffing changes because older patients often have complex, time-sensitive needs.
Physicians cite multiple drivers of the exodus or cutbacks: increasing patient volumes, rising complexity of cases, administrative burdens and perceived off-loading of systemic problems onto emergency departments. These pressures are reflected in the national survey and echoed in local accounts.
Paths forward
Health officials are pursuing recruitment as one tool to address shortages. Experts and front-line clinicians have also pointed to other measures that can help stabilise emergency-care capacity:
- Investment in upstream community and primary-care services to reduce avoidable emergency visits;
- Improved care transitions and supports for long-term-care and home-care patients to lower acute-care demand;
- Targeted retention strategies, including workload management and supports to address physician burnout;
- System-level changes to reduce administrative burdens and distribute responsibility across the health system.
Dr. Ellis emphasised that the decisions clinicians make now reflect prolonged pressures, not snap reactions. For Saskatoon residents who rely on timely emergency care, the implications are immediate: fewer available hours from experienced physicians and an emergency system stretched thin.
The province says it continues to work on recruitment and other elements of its health human resources plan. Meanwhile, local emergency departments and their staff face the daily reality of balancing patient needs with limited time and workforce.
As the situation evolves, patients and families are likely to see the effects in how quickly they are seen and the resources available when they arrive at Saskatoon emergency departments.
