By Canadian Press / CKPGToday

New Strategy To Help Reduce Surgery Wait Times

Mar 21, 2018 | 11:56 AM

VANCOUVER — Today, Premier John Horgan announced a new strategy to boost surgeries in areas with long wait times, starting with hip and knee replacements.

Horgan says the strategy will see five hip and knee replacement programs implemented throughout the province to address the long waits for surgeries people need to enjoy full, active lives.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says the province is also implementing operating room efficiencies, investing more money to keep up with growing demand for all surgeries and taking steps to ensure adequate numbers of health professionals are in place to deliver needed services.

The province is committing $75 million a year towards the strategy starting this fiscal year and increasing to $100 million in 2019-20.

In 2005, health ministers for all provinces set a benchmark of a 26-week wait time for patients needing hip and knee replacements.

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However, the latest figures from the Canadian Institute for Health Information show British Columbia was third from the bottom of the pack in 2016, with only 61 percent of patients getting hip replacements within that benchmark.

Nova Scotia was in last place, with only 56 percent of patients getting the surgery within 26 weeks, followed by New Brunswick, at 60 percent, while the best outcomes were for patients in Ontario.

B.C. fared second worst in Canada when it came to patients needing knee replacements, with 47 percent having the surgery within the benchmark, while Nova Scotia was at the bottom, with only 38 percent of patients getting the surgery within 26 weeks.

by Canadian Press / CKPGToday

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New Strategy To Help Reduce Surgery Wait Times

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