SASKATCHEWAN HEALTHCARE WAIT TIMES IMPACTING MORE LIVES HERE THAN ANY OTHER PROVINCE

Seventy Per Cent Of Patients Report Negative Impact Due To Wait Times Seeing A Medical Specialist

REGINA – The Saskatchewan NDP is again calling out the Sask. Party for downplaying the crisis in healthcare as new data reveals patients in the province report negative impacts to their lives as a result of prolonged waits to see a medical specialist.

The data, released by Statistics Canada Tuesday, found that 69.5 per cent of people surveyed in Saskatchewan said that wait times for an initial consultation with a medical specialist negatively affected their lives – the highest rate among all provinces.

“This reinforces what we hear from people across Saskatchewan every day — healthcare isn’t there for them when and where they need it,” said Meara Conway, Saskatchewan NDP Health Shadow Minister.

“We know that wait times have been a devastating issue here for years and we see no evidence of the situation improving, despite the Sask. Party constantly patting themselves on the back.”

Prolonged wait times to access specialist care can adversely affect patient health outcomes by delaying timely diagnosis and necessary interventions. Patients may also experience increased anxiety, stress, pain, and worsening of their condition while waiting for care.

Conway called out Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill for refusing to address rampant emergency room and lab closures in recent months and then attempting to paper over the healthcare crisis last week by announcing 77 additional rural frontline positions without any plan to actually fill those critical jobs.

“Months ago, I requested and was promised vacancy data to better understand the extent of our recruitment and retention crisis in Saskatchewan,” Conway said. “Today, I’m still waiting. I suspect those numbers paint a grim picture and the Sask Party knows full well that announcing new positions might make for a great headline, but it does absolutely nothing to address the issue.

“We need real solutions and action to fix healthcare. That requires a government that is willing to act on the proposals put forward by healthcare professionals, rather than chase the next flashy headline. The Saskatchewan NDP will continue to work broadly with frontline healthcare workers and experts in the field to end this crisis and ensure people get the care they need.”

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