Fraser Institute's 15th Annual Wait List Survey
(en francais)
This graph is probably one of the best indications of the stewardship of health care under various Liberal governments since 1993.
Can we afford anymore care by the Liberals?
(click on picture for full size)
Contact(s):
Nadeem Esmail, Senior Health Policy Analyst & Manager, Health Data Systems
The Fraser Institute, Tel (604) 714-4549
Email: nadeeme@fraserinstitute.ca
Release Date: October 18, 2005
Vancouver, BC - Waiting times for medical treatment have stalled at their peak levels of about 18 weeks, according to The Fraser Institute’s 15th annual survey, Waiting Your Turn: Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada, released today.
The total waiting time for patients between referral from a general practitioner and treatment, averaged across all 12 specialties and 10 provinces surveyed, fell slightly this year; decreasing to 17.7 weeks in 2005 (from 17.9 weeks in 2004).
“Canadians should not be fooled into thinking that this small reduction in overall waiting is a good-news story. It is important to remember that these waiting times are the second-longest that Canadians have ever experienced and that they exist despite record levels of health spending and in spite of numerous commitments made by provincial and federal governments,” said Nadeem Esmail, senior health policy analyst at The Fraser Institute and co-author of the survey.
“Canadians should also not expect any dramatic improvement in waiting times resulting from the latest federal-provincial agreements regarding waiting lists. The long waiting times for medically necessary services are a symptom of a much greater problem: a poorly-designed health care system,” he continued.
The Fraser Institute’s annual Waiting Your Turn survey documents the extent to which queues for visits to specialists and for diagnostic and surgical procedures are being used to control health care expenses.
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