FRANCAIS

December 12, 2005

Manitoba has already reduced wait-lists to meet or exceed the national benchmarks on cancer radiation treatment and cardiac surgery and, with the recent $155-million Manitoba wait-list reduction strategy now flowing into the system, the province is tackling waiting times in other areas, Health Minister Tim Sale said today.

"By providing a national set of benchmarks for waiting times, provinces, territories and the federal government have taken an historic step in improving accountability in health care," said Sale. "In addition to setting benchmarks, we are also taking action. We have made progress on life or death treatments such as cardiac surgery and cancer radiation therapy, but we are not satisfied with this progress – we must do more."

The federal government, provinces and territories have announced a national set of 10 evidence-based benchmarks in cancer radiation therapy, cardiac surgery, orthopedics (hip and knee replacements), diagnostic services (mammography and cervical screening) and sight restoration.

The national benchmarks establish new indicators on which Manitoba will track and report progress. In some cases, data and reporting must come into alignment with the new evidence-based standards. This work is already underway.

In other areas, Manitoba's existing wait-time information will become more robust.

"We know wait times are too high in some places. That’s why we are investing in more equipment, training more staff and introducing key management innovations such as wait-list co-ordinators to get people better care sooner," said Sale.

In addition to establishing access targets for the 10 national benchmarks in the five categories (cancer radiation treatment, cardiac surgery, orthopedics surgery, diagnostics and sight restoration), Manitoba will be also be moving to establish treatment times for Manitoba-specific wait-list priorities such as pediatric dental surgery, pain treatment and sleep disorder treatments.

Manitoba will be announcing its access targets in 2006, well before the end-of-2007 federal deadline.

In the coming weeks, Manitoba will also be launching a new wait-time information website. The new site will provide more information in a more timely way to help improve patient information and accountability.

Manitoba has shown strong national leadership in addressing wait times. Manitoba’s Dr. Brian Postl was the federal wait-times advisor, leading the national effort to establish benchmarks. Postl, also the president and CEO of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, will be responsible for implementing the wait-time reduction strategies in the province’s largest health authority.

In October, Manitoba announced a $155-million wait-time reduction strategy as part of the province’s national commitment to reduce wait times in the five national priority areas of cancer radiation treatment, cardiac surgery, sight restoration, orthopedics and diagnostic services as well as the Manitoba priority areas. This multi-year strategy will see $57.1 million spent on increasing the volume of surgeries, $25.5 million on more diagnostic testing, $12.4 million on more health professionals, $10.5 million on system innovation and better wait-time management, and $17.2 million on prevention and health promotion.

Manitoba began an aggressive agenda starting in 2000 to provide patients better access to care. Manitoba has initiated a number of substantial reforms in the last six months including:

• creation of the Manitoba Surgical Network to better manage wait-lists;

• innovative use of operating rooms;

• expansion of the role of wait-time managers to assist patients through their treatment process;

• dedication of trauma slates for hip and knee surgeries;

• expansion of the doctor recruitment strategy;

• more training seats for lab technologists and radiologic technologists at Red River College;

• increased use of clinical assistants;

• new diagnostic testing equipment such as the new state-of-the art MRI machine at the Pan Am Clinic and new CT scanners in Brandon, Dauphin and Portage la Prairie;

• the Healthy Smiles program; and

• repatriation of surgeries from Winnipeg to regional centres.

"Reducing waiting times is a key priority for Manitobans and it is a key priority for this government," said Sale. "By setting benchmarks and access targets, we are increasing accountability to patients. But we must continue to act to reduce wait times. There is more to do and we will continue to work."

- 30 -