2026-07-18 — Daily report — Quebec ERs saw waiting patient numbers rise to 1,400 on July 18, 2026, driven by persistent bottlenecks in Laval, Montréal, and Montérégie.

Key Takeaways

•The total number of patients waiting in Quebec ERs rose by over 17% during the day, increasing from 1,193 to 1,400, while overall stretcher occupancy improved from 85% to 76%.

•Laval and Montréal remained critical hotspots, posting regional stretcher occupancies of 163% and 111% respectively.

•Hôpital Pierre-Boucher recorded the most waiting patients (50), while Hôpital général juif faced severe capacity strain with a 175% stretcher occupancy.

On July 18, 2026, emergency department data across 120 Quebec facilities tracked by urgencesquebec.com revealed an increase in waiting patient volumes over the course of the day. The number of patients waiting for care rose from an early snapshot of 1,193 to 1,400 by the latest update. Despite this accumulation of waiting patients, the total number of patients actively in ERs saw a minor reduction from 3,834 to 3,782, and the average provincial stretcher occupancy eased from an elevated 85% down to a more manageable 76%.

Regionally, severe congestion persisted in metropolitan areas. Laval reported a critical 163% stretcher occupancy rate at its single facility, Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé, while Montréal and Montérégie both hovered at 111%. Individually, Hôpital Pierre-Boucher in Montérégie and Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne were among the busiest, recording 50 and 48 waiting patients respectively. In stark contrast, outlying regions like Nord-du-Québec and Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec reported virtually no waiting patients, highlighting a significant geographic disparity in healthcare demand.