Saskatchewan Patients Getting Surgeries Sooner

Released on April 17, 2014

As the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative nears the end of its four-year transformation effort, health regions are putting in place processes to sustain shorter wait times and safety improvements for patients and health care providers.

“Our health system has made tremendous strides toward providing sooner, safer and smarter surgical care since the Surgical Initiative began in March 2010,” Health Minister Dustin Duncan said.  “We continue to put patients first by improving their surgical experience.”

The goal of the Surgical Initiative is to offer patients a procedure within three months of the decision to proceed with surgery.  Updated statistics show that during the period December 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014, almost 81 per cent of patients received a procedure within three months of the decision to have surgery.  Almost 94 per cent received surgery within six months.

There were 10,975 fewer patients waiting more than three months for surgery on February 28 than at the beginning of the Surgical Initiative in March 2010.  Statistics for the end date of the initiative will be available in May.
 
The province’s two biggest and busiest health regions have increased capacity to meet high demand for surgeries and are expected to meet the three-month goal later than the March 31, 2014 target date.  Saskatoon and Regina Qu’Appelle Health Regions estimate they will achieve the goal later this fiscal year - Saskatoon by late fall and Regina Qu’Appelle before March 2015.

Information about the 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: tyler.mcmurchy@health.gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-537-3594