Patient dies in St. Boniface emergency department

A patient died in the emergency room atSt. Boniface Hospital.

The patient passed away after waiting about five hours in the emergency department early Friday morning, accordingto a statement from Kerstin Jordan, regional lead of patient safety for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

Jordan toldCBC News that the patient had also undergone multiple diagnostic tests.

It's not yet known if this incident meets the criteria of a critical incident, although the WRHA is investigating.

"Our sincerest condolences go out to the patient's family and our thoughts are with them," Jordan said.

Wait times at hospitals in Winnipeg and throughout the province have risen sharply over the past six months, according to data from the WRHA and Shared Health.

Waits at some of Winnipeg's ERs exceeded 32 hours last week, according to the Manitoba Nurses Union.

There's a correlation between rising wait times and staffing shortages, according toManitoba Association of Health Care Professionals President Jason Linklater.

Earlier this month, he told CBC News that staffing levels are "nowhere near adequate" and that's leading to "a dangerous situation" on a daily basis for health-care staff and patients.