Wait times for certain procedures growing in Canada: report

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – A new report shows Alberta is failing miserably in getting people treatment for some key procedures.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the province is missing the benchmark time frames for hip replacements, knee replacements, and cataract surgeries.

More concerning is that in all three categories, the province’s performance has declined every year since 2014.

READ THE REPORT

According to the report, 30 per cent of patients who required a hip or knee replacement or cataract surgery did not have their procedure done within the recommended wait times in 2018.

Cataract treatment is the worst of the three, with less than 50 per cent of patients receiving the care they need in the benchmark time frame of 112 days last year.

Jennifer Frood with the Institute says they’re not making recommendations to change the issue but rather keep the conversation going.

“It’s really specific to your region and what the needs are. They (CIHI) regularly meet with representatives in the province to discuss options and initiatives. There are a lot of lessons to learn from region to region and they talk about the success or how initiatives happen over time.”

On the positive side, Alberta is great at providing timely care for hip fractures and radiation treatments.

Close to 100 per cent of Canadians reported receiving radiation therapy within the recommended wait times.

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