Frequently Asked Questions
The following are some commonly asked questions about wait lists and wait times.
What is a wait list?
A wait list is how physicians and hospitals track and schedule people who need specialized medical care, such as heart surgery, MRIs, and hip and knee joint replacements.
There is no single wait list for all British Columbians scheduled for surgery. People may be placed on a provincial list (e.g. Transplant Services), a regional list (e.g. Open Heart Surgery), a hospital list (e.g. for a CT Scan), or an individual physician's list (e.g. for Hip Joint Replacement Surgery), depending on the kind of surgical or medical service required.
What is a Wait Time?
A wait time is how long an individual waits for a surgery or other procedure. It is calculated from the time the procedure is booked in the hospital until it is completed or the medical issue resolved.
What is a reasonable wait time?
Wait times depend on the type of procedure and the circumstances of the individual. A patient's surgical priority is determined by a patient's medical status as assessed by the surgeon and other physicians involved in their care. By providing treatment based on clinical assessment, medical practitioners ensure those patients requiring immediate or urgent treatment receive it.
Who goes on a wait list?
An individual who needs emergency surgery does not go on a wait list and is treated without delay.
For example, about half of all heart or cardiac surgeries in B.C. are done on an emergency basis, with no time spent on a wait list.
If you need surgery or treatment that is not an emergency, you will be placed on a wait list.
What influences the wait time?
Wait times vary for procedures and hospitals. In addition to the circumstances of the individual patient, wait times can also depend on factors such as:
- Which specialists your physician refers you to;
- The capacity of hospitals or regions to do the procedure;
- How fast your community and region are growing; and,
- How busy specialists are in your community.
How are wait times measured?
To find out how wait times are measured, please refer to the How is this data collected? page.
How are wait times managed?
Responsibility for wait times is shared among the Ministry of Health, health authorities, health care providers, and individual patients.
The Ministry of Health provides health funding to B.C.'s health authorities. The ministry also establishes provincial policy, legislation and guidelines for the health system.
Health authorities are responsible for the planning and delivery of health services in the regions and communities.
In the health system, hospitals coordinate operating room time and bed availability for each service and procedure.
Physicians assess individual's needs and the urgency of the surgery or treatment.
If you need further information on care options, treatments and tests, see Questions to ask your Physician/Specialist.
Are wait times longer in B.C.?
Like B.C., many provinces provide surgical wait time information on their public websites. B.C. compares quite well to other provinces in regards to surgical wait times.
Is there a "master" wait list?
There is not one provincial wait list for all patients. Depending on the type of surgery or procedure, regions, hospitals and physicians will have their own wait lists.
Wait times vary for patients depending on the hospital or physician performing the procedure. These also depend on a patient’s urgency and need for care.
Patients who need emergency surgery are not put on a wait list. The surgery is performed immediately.
Patients who need non-emergency care are assessed by their specialist. The physician determines the urgency and need for care, severity of the illness and the potential harm to the patient if treatment is delayed for a period of time. Patients are then scheduled on a wait list based on the urgency and their medical need.
Can more funding mean shorter wait times?
More funding alone will not result in shorter wait times. Long-term changes, such as the development of clearly defined standards for treatment, will help ensure patients get the most appropriate and timely care.
The Ministry of Health is working in partnership with physicians to develop targets for safe and acceptable wait times for a range of hospital-based surgeries and procedures. Wait time targets are already in place for key priority surgical areas such as cardiac surgery, cataract surgery, hip and knee joint replacement surgery, hip fracture fixation surgery and cancer treatment.
Do better physicians have longer wait lists?
All surgeons are evaluated for training, skills and competence, both when they are licensed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. and when they are granted privileges to practice at a hospital.
Some surgeons may have longer wait times because they receive more referrals from family physicians or share operating time in a hospital with a greater demand for operating room resources. In addition, some surgeons may perform fewer procedures or choose to work fewer hours in a period of time.
|
