Patients are dying on stretchers while waiting for treatment in New Westminster's Royal Columbian Hospital emergency room, says a report by a group of ER doctors.

The RCH physicians say their patients are at greater risk because of overcrowded hospital wards that result in stretchers being lined up in hallways and patients forced to wait in ambulances.

"We just don't have the ability to see patients in a timely manner, because of no beds," said Dr. Ida Khan, adding he felt the public should know what's going on at RCH.

"We just can't provide the care we think is important and timely. They're in pain and probably endure a little bit longer pain than they should."

Dr. Khan said the ER physicians have been lobbying for more beds for some time, but nothing has been done.

Dr. Tony Taylor, who is in charge of quality and patient safety at the Fraser Health Authority, said he understands the doctors needed to speak out.

He said there are no easy answers, because without more nurses, wards cannot be expanded.

"Even if we are able to open beds, we have difficulty recruiting nurses as do all hospitals across Canada and North America."

Taylor said the health authority has a plan to deal with congestion in the ER, and notes that patients who are in critical need of help are seen right away.

It's the second time in the past month that emergency doctors in the Lower Mainland have sounded the alarm about inadequate care.

Earlier this month doctors at Vancouver General Hospital wrote a letter they distributed to ER patients, saying they couldn't guarantee their safety because of overcrowding.