BRITISH COLUMBIA

B.C. vows to reduce surgical wait times for hip and knee replacements

The Canadian Press Published Wednesday, March 21, 2018 1:18PM PDT

In 2003 file photo, a doctor holds a template of part of an artificial hip against an x-ray prior to performing a minimally invasive hip replacement surgery (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

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VANCOUVER -- British Columbia's premier says the province will address long wait lists for hip and knee replacements, allowing an extra 4,000 people to have the surgeries in the coming year.

John Horgan says a $75-million investment this year is expected to increase to up to $100 million in 2018-19 with the opening of new programs focusing on system improvements, such as operating room efficiencies.

In 2005, health ministers for all provinces set a benchmark of a 26-week wait time for patients needing hip and knee replacements.

However, the latest figures from the Canadian Institute for Health Information show British Columbia was third from the bottom of the pack in 2016, with only 61 per cent of patients getting hip replacements within that benchmark.

Nova Scotia was in last place, with only 56 per cent of patients getting the surgery within 26 weeks, followed by New Brunswick, at 60 per cent, while the best outcomes were for patients in Ontario.

B.C. fared second worst in Canada when it came to patients needing knee replacements, with 47 per cent having the surgery within the benchmark, while Nova Scotia was at the bottom, with only 38 per cent of patients getting the surgery within 26 weeks.