2023 | Guidelines & Standards
This document provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities for the provincial ventilator stockpile as well as procedures for requesting, releasing, and returning stockpile ventilators and HFNC.
Surge Capacity Management Plan
Increases or surges in the demand for critical care services can pose significant risks to capacity and the ability to deliver necessary health care services.
The Surge Capacity Management Plan, in place since March 2009, offers healthcare providers the necessary information, tools and standardized protocols to be applied in order to effectively manage increases in patient volumes without compromising patient safety.
Ontario’s Ventilator Stockpile
The health system is periodically faced with emerging respiratory health threats like SARS and COVID-19, or surges of critical care activity. To support hospitals in managing capacity for ventilator support equipment during times of pressure, the Provincial Ventilator Stockpile is available as a system resource.
There are 26 host hospitals for the provincial stockpile strategically located across the province. Hospitals requesting access to the Provincial Ventilator Stockpile should follow the ‘Ontario’s Ventilator Stockpile – Guidance Document’, available below for more details.
Ventilators
CCSO supports the provincial ventilator stockpile that provides hospitals across the province with ventilators and high flow nasal cannula devices (HFNC) during times of capacity pressures. These ventilators could potentially be used to care for critical care patients in non-traditional expanded physical spaces.
Surge Management
Increases or surges in the demand for critical care services can pose significant risks to capacity and the ability to deliver necessary health care services. CCSO works in partnership with health care providers, leaders, the Ministry of Health (MOH), and Ontario Health (OH) to ensure the principles and elements of surge capacity management are reinforced. For more information about Surge Management please refer to the surge resources available on the CCSO website.