Quebec ER Capacity Report — January 2026 Provincial Overview
In January 2026, Quebec emergency departments operated at an average reported capacity of 91.1%, based on 76,663 public records covering 115 installations. While the provincial average remained near full operational load, regional capacity levels ranged widely, from the low 50% range to above 140%, illustrating variation in reported activity across the province.
Executive Summary
Emergency departments across Quebec reported an average operational capacity of 91.1% during January 2026, based on publicly available ERInfo data.
The analysis includes 115 emergency department installations across all active reporting regions, representing 76,663 individual reporting records for the month.
While the provincial average remained near full operational load, reported capacity varied considerably between regions. Capacity metrics reflect reported operational load only and do not represent clinical safety conditions.
Provincial Overview
Time Period Analyzed: January 1–31, 2026
Installations Included: 115
Total Records Analyzed: 76,663
Key Provincial Metrics (Installation-Weighted Arithmetic Means)
- Average capacity: 91.1%
- Highest reported regional peak capacity: 340%
- Lowest reported regional minimum capacity: 0%
- Average patients over 24 hours: 5.8
- Average patients over 48 hours: 2.0
Provincial averages were calculated using installation-weighted arithmetic means derived from regional summary data.
Several regions reported monthly peak capacity readings above 300% during short reporting intervals. Other regions remained below full capacity for substantial portions of the month.
Average prolonged stays (patients over 24 and 48 hours) varied across regions, with higher averages generally observed in regions reporting higher operational load.
Regional Variation
Operational load differed across Quebec’s health regions in January 2026.
Reported regional average capacities ranged:
- From the low 50% range in some regions
- To above 140% in others
Regions with larger numbers of installations accounted for a greater share of total reporting records.
Higher regional average capacity levels coincided with higher reported averages of patients remaining in the emergency department beyond 24 and 48 hours. This reflects concurrent reporting patterns within the dataset and does not imply causation.
No installation-level rankings are applied in this analysis.
Data Coverage
- Date range analyzed: January 1–31, 2026
- Regions queried: All 17 Quebec regions (16 reporting active installations)
- Installations analyzed: 115
- Total records analyzed: 76,663
All values reflect reported operational metrics.
Informational Use Statement
This summary is based on publicly reported emergency department data and is provided for informational purposes only.