Quebec ER Capacity Report — June 29 to July 5, 2026

Provincial average capacity rose to 84.7%

Emergency departments across Quebec reported an average capacity of 84.7% during the seven-day period from June 29 through July 5, 2026.

That compared with 82.1% during the immediately preceding week, from June 22 through June 28, 2026, an increase of 2.6 percentage points in the provincial record-weighted average.

The result points to higher reported operational load across the province during the latest week. Conditions, however, varied considerably by facility, region and reporting time.

Prolonged-stay indicators edged upward

The provincial data also show modest increases in the average number of patients remaining in emergency departments for extended periods.

During June 29 to July 5, reporting facilities recorded a record-weighted average of 4.7 patients waiting more than 24 hours at each observation, up from 4.5 patients during the previous week.

For patients waiting more than 48 hours, the provincial average increased from 1.6 patients to 1.7 patients.

Across the three principal measures, the week-over-week changes were:

Average capacity: 82.1% → 84.7%

Average patients waiting more than 24 hours: 4.5 → 4.7

Average patients waiting more than 48 hours: 1.6 → 1.7

All three indicators therefore moved upward compared with the immediately preceding seven-day period.

Wide variation remained across Quebec

The provincial average masks substantial variation in reported conditions across Quebec.

During the latest week, the highest individual capacity reading was 263%, while the lowest was 0%. These figures represent the maximum and minimum individual observations recorded during the period; they are not provincial averages.

The broad range of readings underscores the difference between a province-wide measure and conditions recorded at a particular facility or point in time.

Short-term changes may reflect shifting operational conditions across facilities and reporting periods. The data describe those changes but do not establish their causes.

Week-over-week picture

Overall, the week ending July 5, 2026, showed higher reported operational load than the previous week.

Average capacity increased by 2.6 percentage points, while the average number of patients waiting more than 24 hours rose by 0.2 patients per observation. The average number waiting more than 48 hours increased by 0.1 patients per observation.

The direction of all three provincial indicators was upward.

Time window and data coverage

The analysis compares two consecutive seven-day periods:

Current week: June 29 to July 5, 2026

Previous week: June 22 to June 28, 2026

The geographic scope is Quebec-wide.

For the current week, the analysis includes:

103 emergency department facilities

17,292 records

15 Quebec health regions with reported records

For the previous week, the analysis includes:

103 emergency department facilities

16,744 records

15 Quebec health regions with reported records

The dataset was complete for the retrieved provincial scope in both periods. Regional totals were reconciled with the Quebec-wide record counts.

Two listed Quebec regional groupings had no emergency department records in these period summaries and therefore did not contribute observations to the provincial calculations.

Methodology

This report compares publicly reported emergency department operational data for two consecutive seven-day periods across Quebec.

Provincial averages were calculated as record-weighted means across reporting facilities. Each reported observation contributed to the provincial result according to its presence in the dataset, rather than assigning equal weight to every region.

The analysis examined three principal measures:

Emergency department capacity

Patients waiting more than 24 hours

Patients waiting more than 48 hours

The highest and lowest capacity figures for the latest week represent the maximum and minimum individual readings recorded during that period.

Week-over-week changes were calculated by subtracting the previous week’s provincial average from the current week’s provincial average.

Capacity percentages and prolonged-stay counts represent reported operational load only and should not be interpreted as measures of clinical safety or quality of care.

Informational Use Statement

This summary is based on publicly reported emergency department data and is provided for informational purposes only.