Surgery Wait Times in Canada: Setting Expectations
Receiving surgery in Canada isn’t an overnight process. More often than not months will pass between getting a referral from a family doctor or GP and receiving surgery.With more and more names being added to the surgical patient registry every day wait times will become even longer. Different branches of the government health authority compile and report wait time information so patients have a better understanding of what they are signing up for by adding their names to this list.
From coast to coast, surgical services are in high demand all across Canada. With a long surgical patient registry, wait times have made access to surgery more restricted than ever. The Canadian Institute for Health Information has compiled the Wait Times Data report for 2023, showcasing what to expect based on procedure and province.
Patient Access to Surgical Procedures: Estimating Your Timeframes
Limited access to medical professionals, clinics, operating rooms, and available equipment have taken a toll on surgical wait times and this limits patient access. In order to create realistic expectation for patients waiting for surgery the Canadian Ministry of Health has shifted the benchmark to a 6-month wait time for surgical procedures.
Even with the extended benchmark, there are still patients waiting for surgery well over that period. In fact, across Canada the only type of healthcare treatment that does reach that benchmark (or within 10% of it) is radiation therapy.
In British Columbia patients are unable to get surgical care for vital procedures like hip replacements (65%), knee replacements (57%) and hip fracture repair (73%) within that 6-month time period. Hip and knee replacement surgeries in BC are often not thought of as priority procedures but this shouldn’t be the case. During this time the quality of life for patients will drop dramatically. Reduced mobility and increased effects of chronic pain make it more difficult to work and enjoy recreational activities and/or family life.
A snapshot of median and benchmark timeframes in Canada:
- Ontario has the most evenly distributed wait times ranging from 65%-83% of the benchmark. This province also carries the shortest wait times across Canada with an average of 21.6 weeks.
- In 2023 approximately 1,209,000 patients were waiting for procedures. This number is roughly 3% of the Canadian population.
- Nova Scotia has the longest wait times at 56.7 weeks for surgical care.
Depending on the type of surgical procedures that you are waiting on, patients can expect to wait up to 27.7 weeks. This is well over the ideal timeframe set provincially by the Regional Health Authority.
With prolonged wait times in some provinces it is becoming more and more common for patients to travel elsewhere to seek treatment. Medical travel can mean going to another province or it can mean visiting another country. In either case it is important to ensure that you are using a reputable agency for any travel plans, procedure scheduling and even booking your physician and medical teams abroad.
A reliable medical tourism agency will help to identify the best health region for you while considering the type of procedure that you need, ability to travel, availability of operating rooms/physicians and your personal health goals.
