In just 11 months, surgery waits triple as Sask. Party continues to cut

Since the Sask. Party cut the budget for surgeries last year, the number of people waiting over three months for surgery has grown by an alarming 174 per cent and those waiting more than six months for surgery has doubled.

"These numbers are unacceptable, and show the Sask. Party’s cuts are having real consequences,” said NDP Health Critic Danielle Chartier. “I am constantly hearing from families who have been waiting months for surgery. They are frustrated, in pain, and can’t understand why they have to wait for so long. Any progress the government could have once claimed in improving wait times has been thrown away and these increases have set us back years.”

The latest numbers, released on the government’s Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative website, show the Sask. Party’s cuts in health care are dragging the province back in the wrong direction.

The number of people waiting three months for surgeries has increased from 1,693 in March 2015, to 4,641 in February. The number of people waiting more than six months for surgery grew from 478 to 1,172 during the same time period.

With the Sask. Party hinting at possible changes to the health care system coming in the June 1 budget, Chartier said that any further cuts would only cause surgery wait times to continue growing.

"Brad Wall broke his promise to ensure no one would wait more than three months for their surgery," said Chartier. "Instead, surgery wait times are increasing. Any further cuts will just cause these numbers to get even worse."

“Saskatchewan people are not getting the timely care they need nor the service they were promised.”

See the attached backgrounder for more information on surgery wait time increases.

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