Alta. budget forecasts record number of private surgeries

Alta.’s budget includes $305 million to support approximately 310,000 operating room procedures. Alberta Health estimates between 60,000 and 65,000 of these publicly funded procedures will be performed by privately-owned chartered surgical facilities (CSFs), an increase of 27% to 37% from the 47,400 surgeries performed in CSFs in 2022-2023. A Simon Fraser University researcher says since the province started outsourcing surgeries to private clinics in 2020, the initiative diverted from public hospitals, increasing wait times and reducing overall surgical capacity, instead of improving access.