Wednesday, June 11, 2025
The Government of Ontario announced that construction is underway on the phased expansion of the emergency department at Guelph General Hospital (GGH).
“Our government is protecting Ontario’s health care system and ensuring that more people in Guelph and across Wellington County can connect to convenient mental health and addictions care, when they need it most,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By investing in the relocation and expansion of Guelph General Hospital’s emergency mental health and addictions services, we are making it faster and easier for more people to access emergency care and mental health services they need faster and for years to come.”
The province is investing over $21 million to support the first phase of the expansion, which includes renovating approximately 23,000 square feet of space to relocate the hospital’s existing emergency mental health and addictions services unit from the emergency department to a new, dedicated space within the hospital. This relocation will allow more patients and their families to access enhanced mental health and addictions support services while freeing up over 12 per cent more space in the emergency department to connect more patients to the right level of emergency care, as quickly as possible.
“This is an important step forward in enhancing the care we provide at Guelph General Hospital. With patient volumes far exceeding what our facilities were built for, this upgrade will allow us to better meet the needs of our community, especially those seeking care for mental health and addictions. It’s a meaningful investment in patient safety and dignity as we lay the groundwork for a future new hospital,” said Mark Walton, president and CEO, Guelph General Hospital.
Once opened, GGH’s new mental health and addictions services unit will include:
- Expanded capacity in the Short Stay Assessment Unit from four to eight beds to monitor and treat more adult patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies
- A new emergency follow-up service that will increase individual and group counselling services by 14 per cent to help more than 2,220 patients stabilize before being discharged and reduce re-admissions
- A new walk-in patient intake zone
- Additional ambulance capacity from two to three by building a new three-bay ambulance garage with a dedicated offload area, reducing offload wait times in the emergency department
- A brand new reception area in the emergency department, including a new waiting room and triage area
People will continue to have 24/7 access to the emergency department while construction is underway, with construction expected to be completed in spring 2026. On average more than 60,000 patients visit the emergency department at Guelph General Hospital every year, with local demand only expected to increase as the Guelph-Wellington region continues to grow. The phased redevelopment of the hospital’s emergency department will renovate existing infrastructure and enhance emergency services to ensure families can conveniently connect to high-quality care in a comfortable and modern space.
“Guelph General Hospital serves residents from across the region. Today we take another important step forward to ensure people can get the care they need in a timely manner. Thank you to Minister Jones for her leadership on this important project,” said Joseph Racinsky, MPP for Wellington—Halton Hills.
Featured image: (Government of Ontario)
