MORE CANADIANS ON HOSPITAL WAITING LISTS IN 1998
The Fraser Institute's annual survey, "Waiting Your Turn:
Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada," has found that more Canadians
were waiting to receive medical treatment in 1998 than in 1997.
Queues for visits to specialists and for diagnostic and surgical
procedures reflect health care rationing under Canada's national
health system.
According to the study, 212,990 Canadians were on hospital
waiting lists for surgical procedures, a 13 percent increase from
the 1997 estimate of 187,799. Patients were also waiting longer
to receive treatment:
o Patients waited an average (median) of 6.0 weeks after
referral by a General Practitioner for a consultation with
a specialist (see figure
http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/media/media_releases/1999/wyt/chart2.html
).
o Then they waited another 7.3 weeks after the consultation
to actually receive treatment (see figure
http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/media/media_releases/1999/wyt/chart3.html ).
o The total average waiting time in 1998 was 13.3 weeks --
up from 11.9 weeks in 1997, and up a dramatic 43 percent
since 1993, when the total waiting time for Canadians to
receive treatment was 9.3 weeks.
The total wait in 1998 varied widely according to where Canadians
live: from 11.9 weeks in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and
Nova Scotia, to 20.2 weeks in Saskatchewan.
The survey also measured what specialists consider to be
clinically reasonable lengths of time to wait for surgical
procedures. For Canada as a whole, and across all specialties,
actual waiting time exceeded what specialists consider to be
reasonable for all specialties except medical oncology. Waiting
times also increased for various diagnostic technologies such
computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) and ultrasound.
Source: Michael Walker and Martin Zelder, "Waiting Your Turn:
Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada (9th edition)," Critical Issues
Bulletin, 1999, Fraser Institute, 4th Floor, 1770 Burrard Street,
Vancouver, B.C. V6J 3G7, Canada, (604) 688-0221.
Full text
http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/publications/critical_issues/1999/waiting_your
_turn/
For more on Health issues
http://www.ncpa.org/pi/health/hedex1.html
