What to do with the latest stats from the Fraser Institute looking at waiting times to be seen and treated by a specialist?
First point: you have to take their numbers with a grain of salt for 2 reasons. First, the stats are based on questionnaires sent to specialists and those that actually reply. Next, the Institute openly lets you know that they have a specific agenda that they use these statistics to support. Having said that they have been collecting this data in the same way for many, many years, so there is definitely some value in it.
If you believe the Institute, waiting times are getting worse and it's because of the way our health care system is set up with a single provider monopolizing the reimbursement of care. If you believe our Health Minister, it's because we haven't implemented Bill 20. Who's right?
The answer lies in a part of the report that you haven't heard people talk about, the tale of the province of Saskatchewan. In 2010 the province announced its Surgical Initiative to reduce wait times for elective surgery. Today their wait times which were amongst the longest are amongst the shortest. What did they do?
First they had real leadership which set realistic goals and got feedback from the frontline providers to find out what needed to be done. They didn't just legislate from the top down and threaten their health care workers but worked with them. Next they organized their plan based on patient needs not provider needs. When was the last time the ministry actually listened to what the patients needed and based their plans on that?
So, want to reduce wait times and improve patient outcomes and care: it can be done. Saskatchewan and other places have shown the way but is anyone willing to listen?