Hospital patients admitted from the island’s only emergency department waited a median of 20 hours to be transferred to a ward in May — a meaningful improvement on previous months, the Ministry of Health and Bermuda Hospitals Board said this afternoon.

The figure was more than three times the BHB’s operational target but compared favourably to the 50-hour typical boarding time recorded earlier in 2026.

An update was provided by the two agencies as work continues to address patient flow at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and reduce emergency department overcrowding.

It came after Edward Schultz, a former Chief of Emergency Services, went public in April with grave concerns about the island’s healthcare crisis, which he insisted then was “worsening by the day”.

The ministry and BHB said today that the hospitals board “set a clear operational target of six hours” for emergency department boarding — the time between a decision to admit a patient and their transfer to an inpatient bed.

They added: “For admitted patients, time in the emergency department has two parts: the time it takes to reach a decision to admit and the time spent boarding until an inpatient bed becomes available.

“As of May 2026, admitted patients waited a median of about five hours for a decision to admit, followed by a further median of about 20 hours boarding.

“This resulted in a typical total of roughly 24 hours in the emergency department before transferring to a ward.

“While this remains above the six hour target, boarding times have improved meaningfully over the past several months.

“Most patients who are not admitted continue to be treated and discharged within a median of under four hours.”

The agencies said that a review of almost 30,000 encounters of the emergency department between April 2025 and March 2026 showed that about 25 to 35 per cent of patients — about 20 to 28 patients a day — could have potentially been treated in primary or community care settings.

“This work supports ongoing efforts to strengthen primary care access and reduce avoidable emergency department demand,” they added.

A bed capacity management plan was introduced after Dr Schultz aired his fears — including that lengthy periods of boarding could have potentially fatal outcomes.

The BHB and ministry said today that the move resulted in “measurable improvements”.

“Median boarding time has dropped from around 50 hours earlier in 2026 to around 20 hours in May 2026, a reduction of about 60 per cent,” they added.

“Emergency department overcrowding has eased as a result, supported by enhanced discharge processes and the use of the new discharge lounge.

“Performance still varies week to week and boarding remains above target.

“The progress to date reflects the commitment of clinical teams and the co-ordinated approach between BHB and the Ministry of Health.”

Wider efforts include the addition of 30 long-term care beds at the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute as part of a broader strategy to address the projected need for about 365 skilled nursing facility beds by 2035.

It was announced by the Ministry of Health in the wake of Dr Schultz’s comments that emergency department performance would undergo “an independent, focused operational assessment” aimed at “immediate corrective action”.

The BHB confirmed in April that it was proceeding with the assessment, with the update this afternoon noting that “a robust and expedited procurement process” for the review neared completion.

“Although an external reviewer has not yet been appointed, the process is actively progressing under the governance oversight of the chairman of the Bermuda Hospitals Board,” the agencies said.

“Updates will be provided at appropriate stages to ensure transparency while protecting the independence and integrity of the review.”

As of Monday, 41 patients who were medically fit for discharge occupied acute care beds, the ministry and BHB added.

The update said: “Their median length of stay to date is about 73 days, with an average of about 111 days. 17 patients with stays of 90 days or longer account for 78 per cent of all bed days used by this group.

“These patients are predominantly older adults, with a median age of 74, and require skilled nursing or long‑term care placement, which is the main reason for the delay.

“Work continues across the system to support timely and appropriate placement options.”

Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, added: “The progress we are seeing is the result of strong collaboration between BHB and the ministry, and I want to acknowledge the dedication of the teams who are working every day to improve patient flow and strengthen the system.

“While there is more work ahead, we are encouraged by the improvements already achieved and remain committed to supporting BHB as they continue this important work.”

Judy Richardson, the BHB’s acting chief executive, said: “Our staff have been working extremely hard to improve the experience for patients and families, and the reduction in boarding times reflects that effort.

“We appreciate the ministry’s ongoing support as we continue to implement the bed capacity management plan and expand long-term care capacity.

“We are committed to building on this progress and ensuring that patients receive timely, safe and appropriate care.”

In a 4,000-word document submitted to the BHB and health ministry in January, Dr Schultz, a physician and former BHB member, wrote: “Poor structural design of the island’s only acute care hospital and a decades-long failure to adequately plan and properly invest in how to deal with the country’s rapidly ageing population has created a situation at the hospital where there is now overcrowding of inpatient beds on a nearly daily basis.

“As a consequence, many patients in the emergency department at KEMH are ‘boarded’ for days before they are transferred to a hospital ward.

“This is dangerous as it places these patients at increased risk for serious delays in their care, an increased incidence of medical errors, adverse outcomes and even death.”

He called for an independent commission of inquiry to review public access to emergency care in Bermuda as well as KEMH admissions.

• To see the Ministry of Health and Bermuda Hospitals Board statement in full, see Related Media

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Update on Emergency Department Patient Flow and Bed Capacity Management