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Wait Times in your Area
Ontario Paediatric
Surgical Wait Times
About Wait Times Data
The Wait Time Strategy
Provincial Trends
Wait Times Targets
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Wait Times in Ontario

The Ontario government is implementing a plan to increase access and reduce wait times for five major health services : cancer surgery, cardiac procedures, cataract surgery, hip and knee replacements, as well as MRI and CT exams. The four aims of Ontario's wait times strategy are :

  • Significantly increasing the number of procedures to reduce the backlog that has developed over the last decade
  • Investing in new, more efficient technology such as MRI machines and extending hours of operations
  • Standardizing best practices for both medical and administrative functions in order to improve patient flow and efficiency
  • Collecting and reporting accurate and up-to-date data on wait times to allow better decision making and increase accountability

Progress on Wait Times

Wait times are the point at which nearly all patients (90%) have completed surgery or have had their exam.

In the table below you will find the provincial wait times for six key health services. The data is based on procedures completed for the most current time period, at hospitals that are participating in the Wait Time Strategy

90 Percent Completed Within
Service Baseline
(Days) 1		 Current
(Days)
(Sep 08)		 Access Target
(Days)		 Percentage Completed Within Target Current vs. Baseline
Net change (Days) Percentage change
General Surgery 121 127 182 96% 6 5.0
Cancer Surgery 81 73 84 93% -8 -9.9
Angiography2
 56 26 – – -30 -53.6
Angioplasty2
 28 14 – – -14 -50
Bypass Surgery2 49 62 182 100% 13 26.5
Ophthalmic Surgery3 130 119 84-182 97% -11 -8.5
  Cataract Surgery 311 118 182 97% -193 -62.1
  Other ophthalmic surgery 114 132 84-182 91% 18 15.8
Orthopaedic surgery 190 186 182 90% -4 -2.1
  Hip replacement 351 180 182 90% -171 -48.7
  Knee replacement 440 205 182 88% -235 -53.4
  Other orthopaedic surgery 175 181 182 90% 6 3.4
MRI 120 100 28 45% -20 -16.7
CT 81 41 28 83% -40 -49.4
Paediatric surgery 273 223 182 86% -50 -18.3

Notes:

  1. Baseline Wait Times for Cancer Surgery, Cardiac, Cataract Surgery, Hip and Knee Replacements and MRI/CT are based on Aug/Sep 2005 data.
    Baseline Wait Times for General Surgery, Ophthalmic and Other Ophthalmic Surgery, Orthopaedic and other Orthopaedic surgery are based on April 2008 data.
    Paediatric baseline wait time based on April/May 2006 data
  2. Cardiac wait times include elective referrals only
  3. Ophthalmic surgery priority 4 access targets vary by service detail:
    Cataract - 182; Glaucoma - 112; Corneal Transplant-182; Vitrectomy-84; Generic 182

Please note that as of March 2008, priority level reporting is available.

For more information
Call the ministry INFOline at 1-888-779-7767
Hours of operation : 8:30am - 5:00pm		 E-mail : transforminghealth@moh.gov.on.ca
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