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Strategy to Reduce wait times

On February 1, 2006, Premier Gordon Campbell announced a $60.5-million wait time management strategy. The strategy includes:

• A new Centre for Surgical Innovation at UBC Hospital – $25 million in 2006/07 to support dedicated operating rooms to help clear patient backlogs for hip and knee surgery.
• Additional funding to immediately address existing backlogs – $25 million in 2005/06 for health authorities across the province to immediately increase the number of surgeries with a focus on joint replacement surgery.
• A Provincial Surgical Patient Registry – $5 million to create and implement a provincewide patient registry developed by the Provincial Health Services Authority and all health authorities to help better manage the surgical backlog.
• A Research Centre for Hip Health at Vancouver General Hospital – $5.5 million from the Ministry of Advanced Education.