16-year-old dies after 8-hour wait in Oakville ER; family calls for investigation, health system reform

The family of Finley van der Werken, a 16-year-old who died in February 2024 after an 8-hour wait to see a doctor in the Oakville Trafalgar Hospital emergency room, is calling for an investigation and health system reform.

Finley was admitted at 10 p.m. but was not seen by a doctor until 6:22 a.m., when he should have been seen by a doctor within 15 minutes at a triage level 2. He suffered from severe sepsis and pneumonia, and doctors were unable to save him after he was transferred to Toronto.

The family has accused the hospital and its staff of negligence and has filed a lawsuit for more than $1.3 million. The claims have not yet been proven in court.

Hilton Healthcare, in a statement, expressed its condolences and announced plans to improve emergency services.

Finley's parents have also launched the "Finley's Voice" campaign and filed a petition calling for "Finley's Law." The law would include a legal limit on how long children can wait in emergency rooms, a safe doctor-to-patient ratio, and independent oversight of child deaths in emergency rooms.

They have also called for a medical examiner's investigation, which is still under consideration.

The family insists that all of this is being done in Finley's memory and to prevent such incidents from happening again.

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