There were 85,468 patients waiting for medically necessary surgery in B.C. last year, according to the B.C. Anesthesiologists Society.
The society released a 10-page discussion paper entitled Far Too Long, Far Too Many, in Vancouver on Tuesday outlining “worrisome” surgical wait-lists and wait times.
Of the 85,468 people on surgical wait-lists in B.C. in 2017-2018, 4,711 had already waited more than one year for medical treatment, according to data compiled by the Health Ministry and presented by the society.
Since 2001-2002, the number of people waiting for surgery in B.C. has increased 54 per cent — about three times the growth rate of the provincial population.
“It is surprising just how large — and how quickly — B.C.’s wait-lists have grown in recent years,” said Dr. Roland Orfaly, the society’s chief executive officer. The society represents 400 specialist doctors who work at every major hospital in the province and care for about 300,000 surgical patients every year.
Even more concerning, Orfaly said, is that 35,335 on wait-lists in 2017-2018 had waited longer than the benchmark wait-time for their surgery, which for hip and knee replacements is 26 weeks.
He said the purpose of a discussion paper is to signal that anesthesiologists want to work with the government and other health-care providers to find solutions.
Alison Dormuth, Island Health’s director of surgical services, agreed the shortage of anesthesiologists across the province “is a huge issue” — one that affects north Island hospitals more than in those in the south.
However, she said, Island Health has seen its wait-lists decrease since April 1.
“Just this fiscal year alone, we’ve seen our overall wait-list volumes have decreased by [about] 1,000 cases,” Dormuth said. Of those, about 700 were hip and knee joint replacements, she said.
A new operating room opened at Royal Jubilee Hospital in January 2018, resulting in a “significant” improvement in wait times, she added.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said the wait times reflect some of the surgery issues that took place under the previous Liberal governments, adding that the government’s surgical plan is having some success.
Last March, Premier John Horgan announced $175 million over two years to reduce hip and knee replacement wait-lists, allowing an additional 4,000 people to have the surgeries last year.
“It’s a big problem,” Dix said, “and the only way to deal with big problems is to start and that’s what we’re doing.”
He said there has already been a reduction in wait times for hip and knee replacements and dental surgery, along with an overall increase in surgeries.
According to the Health Ministry, median wait times for hip and knee replacements have decreased almost six weeks — from 19.3 weeks to 13.4 weeks — since the beginning of the 2017-2018 fiscal year, while median waits for dental surgery have decreased from 11.1 to 8.0 weeks.
As of Nov. 30, the total number of people waiting for adult knee replacements in B.C. was 7,166 — including 1,281 within Island Health and 398 at Greater Victoria’s two main hospitals.
As for wait times, between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, half of adult knee replacements were completed in 20.1 weeks in B.C., within 18.4 weeks in Island Health and within 15.6 weeks in Greater Victoria. Ninety per cent were completed within 46.6 weeks in the province and Island Health, and within 29 weeks in Greater Victoria.
The statistics were slightly better for adult hip replacements.
As of Nov. 30, 3,560 people in B.C. were waiting for hips to be replaced — including 664 in Island Health and 229 in Greater Victoria’s two main hospitals.
Between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, half of adult hip surgeries were completed within 17.4 weeks in the province, 15.3 weeks in Island Health and 13.9 weeks in Greater Victoria’s two main hospitals. Ninety per cent were completed within 41.6 weeks in the province, 41.8 weeks in Island Health and 28.1 weeks in Greater Victoria’s two main hospitals.
“It’s like a big ship that’s hard to turn around quickly,” Dormuth said. “But you’re seeing that slower improvement.”
— With a file from The Canadian Press
