Released on July 17, 2013
The latest provincial wait time numbers show continued progress toward Saskatchewan’s goal of offering all surgical patients a procedure within three months.
"There are now about 9,100 fewer patients waiting more than three months for surgery, than when we began the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative in April 2010,” Health Minister Dustin Duncan said. “People in this province are spending less time waiting for surgery and more time getting on with their lives."
Surgical teams across the province are on track to make a dent in surgical patient wait lists, despite a traditional slowdown in surgeries that takes place each summer.
The latest surgical wait time information shows that 78 per cent of patients are receiving surgery within three months of their consultation with a surgeon and 90 per cent within six months.
Since 2007, the number of all patients waiting more than three months for surgery has fallen 59 per cent from 15,357 to 6,234 (or 9,123 fewer patients waiting) as of May 31. The reduction since April 2010 is also 59 per cent, down from 15,342.
All health regions except Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region are on track to meet the three-month goal by April 2014. Regina Qu’Appelle is expected to meet the goal by April 2015.
The latest monthly data update indicates that 18,465 patients were waiting for surgery in the province on May 31, 2013, down from 26,739 in November 2007 and from 27,581 when the Surgical Initiative was launched in April 2010.
Thanks to a $70.5 million provincial investment in surgical care in the 2013-14 fiscal year, about 89,000 surgeries will be performed in Saskatchewan this year, an increase of 7,000 from last year.
Information about the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative is available at www.sasksurgery.ca. The website also features the Specialist Directory, which empowers patients and their primary care providers to compare options for surgical care.
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For more information, contact:
Tyler McMurchy
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: tmcmurchy@health.gov.sk.ca