Physicians in Manitoba’s ERs and urgent care centres are working in increasingly unsustainable conditions — with direct impacts on patient care, access, and physician well-being. 

• Overcapacity is constant: Patients remain in ERs waiting for tests, consults, or admission. 
• Coverage gaps persist: Unfilled shifts often leave physicians working alone. 
• Moral distress is rising: Conditions are contributing to burnout and retention risks. 

Town Halls Complete: After our persistent advocacy on behalf of physicians, Shared Health held town halls to hear directly from frontline ER and Urgent Care physicians. Our team attended all town halls to monitor the feedback and ensure the health system captures and responds to physician concerns. 

• Broad engagement: Sessions included all Winnipeg ERs and Urgent Cares, as well as all regional centres and 24/7 rural and northern locations. 
• What’s next: We look forward to seeing the final report and action plan from Shared Health. 

What’s new: This week, we learned the government has contracted a U.S. agency to recruit locum physician coverage. 

• Utah-based Global Medical Staffing has posted 5 Manitoba job opportunities in recent days. 
• Assignment lengths are between 6 – 12 months, with an option to stay longer if requested by the healthcare facility. 

Temporary fix: As Doctors Manitoba President Dr. Nichelle Desilets told reporters Wednesday, this temporary fix must be matched with sustained investment in retaining the excellent physicians we already have which includes addressing long-standing systemic stress on the health system. 

Other changes coming: The government announced targeted measures to ease pressure as part of their 2026 provincial budget, including rapid assessment zones in mental health (HSC) and cardiology (St. Boniface). 

📊 By the numbers:

• Winnipeg wait times are at 8.5 hours (90^th percentile), a record high and 50% higher than the national average of 5.5 hours, according to CIHI. The most recent reporting from the WRHA puts waits at 11.1 hours. 
• Rural ERs in Manitoba have more closures than anywhere else in Canada, according to a Globe and Mail investigative report. 
• Only 25% of Manitobans are confident they can access emergency care in a timely manner, the lowest rate of any province in Canada (Angus Reid report). 

Bottom line: We know short-term fixes won’t solve long-standing root causes to ER and urgent care strain. Manitoba needs sustained investment in staffing, capacity, and patient flow to support both physicians and patients. 

Share your feedback with your medical leaders — and copy Doctors Manitoba at practiceadvice@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca. Confidential input is always welcome.