The Ontario Medical Association says the backlog for certain services, which now sits at 22 million, grew roughly by one million in the last three months - an increase fueled by the Omicron variant. The organization warns the delays are bad for health outcomes and some individuals are waiting for more than one service, adding that backlogs may be worse in some areas due to availability of services. The OMA held consultations to develop a roadmap offering five priorities to improve delivery of care:
- Reduce wait times and the backlog of services for patients needing a test or treatment, waiting for any type of surgery or procedure or living with a chronic disease;
- Expand mental health and addiction services in the community, making professional help available for anyone who needs it;
- Improve and expand home care and other community care to avoid hospital and LTC admissions, letting stable patients leave hospital sooner with more choice about where they receive follow-up care;
- Strengthen public health and pandemic preparedness; and
- Give every patient a team of healthcare providers that are linked digitally so patients can receive the types of care they need faster, thus letting providers share information quickly and efficiently.
Related:
Some improvement, but many waits for hip-replacement surgery in N.B. still too long - CBC News
14 000 personnes en attente d’une coloscopie en Nouvelle-Écosse - Radio-Canada
14,000 on surgical wait-list for colonoscopies in Nova Scotia - CBC News
Thousands of kids waiting months too long for surgeries in Ontario, risking long-term damage - The Star (sub. req.)