SURGERY WAIT TIMES STATS SHOW GRADUAL GAINS

After an earlier stall in progress, November showed the second consecutive month of modest gains toward the goal of providing all surgeries within six months by April 2013.  Statistics for November 30, 2012 show that there were 299 fewer people waiting more than six months for surgery than the month before.

In November 2007, there were 10,635 people waiting more than six months for surgery.  Efforts across the province have reduced that number by 60 per cent to 4,271 people.

“Surgical teams in Saskatchewan are working together to achieve more timely surgeries for patients while improving safety,” Health Minister Dustin Duncan said.

The number of surgeries performed in Saskatchewan so far this fiscal year is up slightly from the same period last year, with four health regions performing more surgeries: Five Hills, Prairie North, Saskatoon and Sun Country Health Regions.  A total of 54,853 surgeries had been performed as of November 30, 2012.

The Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative was launched in April 2010 to streamline surgical processes, improve the quality of patient care and ensure no one waits more than three months for surgery by April 2014.  The goal for the current fiscal year is to provide all surgeries within six months by April 2013.  In the six-month period leading up to November 30, 2012, 90 per cent of patients received their surgery within six months.

A total of 20,890 Saskatchewan people were waiting for surgery on November 30, 2012, down from 26,740 in November 2007.

Some Saskatchewan projects contributing to surgery improvements include:

• An online specialist directory to empower patients, in consultation with their primary health care provider, to make informed choices about referrals to specialists;
• Adoption of the surgical safety checklist before surgeries;
• The use of pooled referrals to route patients to the next available specialist appropriate for their condition;
• 18-bed inpatient surgical ward added at St. Paul’s Hospital (Saskatoon);
• New patient-flow software introduced in Regina and Saskatoon to help move patients through the health system better and faster;
• Breast Health Centre expansion at Saskatoon City Hospital to allow faster, less invasive procedures for breast biopsies; and
• Assessment centres for early diagnosis of serious hip and knee problems and back problems.

More information about the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative can be found at www.health.gov.sk.ca/surgical-initiative.  Wait time data and other information for patients is available at www.sasksurgery.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Tyler McMurchy
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: tmcmurchy@health.gov.sk.ca