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Wait Time for Hip and Knee Surgeries Continue to Drop

Aug. 4, 2006

VICTORIA – Patients are continuing to benefit from shorter wait times for hip and knee replacement surgeries as a result of the provincial government's wait time strategy, announced Health Minister George Abbott today.

The median wait time for hip surgery dropped more than seven weeks from 22.6 weeks at the end of June 2005 to 15.4 weeks at the end of June 2006. The median wait time for knee surgery dropped almost four weeks from 27.9 weeks at the end of June 2005 to 24 weeks at the end of June 2006.

“Our $60.5-million wait time strategy announced in February is working,” said Abbott. “Hip and knee surgery patients are now facing substantially shorter wait times, improving the quality of life for them and their families. We have acted on our commitment to reduce backlogs and build capacity in the system to increase the number of surgeries performed.”

The additional hip and knee replacement surgeries build on a growing capacity, which has resulted in 35 per cent more hip replacements and 65 per cent more knee replacements completed over the past four years.

“British Columbians have told us that their health care is very important to them and we are continuing to invest in our first-class, sustainable system,” said Abbott. “By implementing comprehensive programs and services to reduce wait lists for surgeries, we will ensure that B.C. is worldwide leader in health care.”

Around half of all surgeries in B.C. are performed as emergency or urgent and are never waitlisted. The Province’s surgical wait times website, which provides regional statistics for British Columbians waiting for elective surgery, is at www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/waitlist.
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