Wait times for priority surgeries improve

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Seven years after Canada's first ministers committed to reducing surgery waiting times, about 80 per cent of patients are getting their procedures within medically recommended times - at least in the priority areas.

New data collected by the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows that waiting times for the priority procedures have generally improved, as has collection of information now that provinces are using common definitions of waits and benchmarks.

"Is 80 per cent good enough? Likely not," said Tracy Johnson, manager of special projects at the institute.

In fact, the new findings show there are significant variations in waiting times between provinces, and likely within regions and individual institutions. Overall, patients in the most populous provinces - Ontario, Quebec and B.C. - tend to fare better than those in smaller provinces. In smaller provinces especially, seemingly minor issues like the loss of a single orthopedic surgeon can result in a sharp increase in waiting times.

"A number of provinces have a ways to go," Ms. Johnson said. But she noted that, for the first time, it is possible to measure and compare waiting times between provinces.

In the past year, about 400,000 surgical procedures have been performed in the priority areas - hip and knee replacement, hip fracture repairs, heart bypass surgery, radiation treatment for cancer, and cataract surgery.

In 2004, those priorities were identified and $5.5-billion allocated to reducing waiting times in those areas. Below is a look at the priority areas, and how the provinces are faring in achieving benchmarks.

HIP REPLACEMENTS

Benchmark: 26 weeks

Patients getting prompt care: 84 per cent

Best record: Ontario, 91 per cent

Worst record: Nova Scotia, 57 per cent

Trend: Waiting times are improving

KNEE REPLACEMENTS

Benchmark: 26 weeks

Patients getting prompt care: 79 per cent

Best record: Ontario, 89 per cent

Worst record: Nova Scotia, 42 per cent

Trend: Waiting times increasing

SURGERY FOR HIP FRACTURE

Benchmark: 48 hours

Patients getting prompt care: 78 per cent

Best record: Manitoba, 82 per cent

Worst record: Saskatchewan, 72 per cent

Trend: Waiting times unchanged

CATARACTS - HIGH RISK

Benchmark: 16 weeks

Patients getting prompt care: 83 per cent

Best record: New Brunswick, 89 per cent

Worst record: Alberta, 48 per cent

Trend: Waiting times increasing

CARDIAC BYPASS SURGERY

Benchmark: 2-26 weeks depending on severity

Patients getting prompt care: 99 per cent

Best record: Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland - 100 per cent

Worst record: Alberta, 95 per cent

Trend: Data lacking on waiting times according to urgency

RADIATION THERAPY - CANCER

Benchmark: 4 weeks

Patients getting prompt care: 98 per cent

Best record: Manitoba, 100 per cent

Worst record: Nova Scotia, 85 per cent

Trend: Waits for MRIs longer than for CT scans