BCA welcomes recent provincial government action to reduce surgery wait times in Alberta. Improving surgical wait times is a key priority to make life better for Albertans.
Since the pandemic hit, the surgery backlog in the province, which was already a problem before, has ballooned. While Alberta is working through that backlog faster than others, in many cases 40% or more of patients are waiting longer than they should for life-improving surgeries like knees and hips. Policy actions put forward through the Alberta Surgical Initiative will help.
Alberta’s health system has used innovative models of public funding and private delivery for over two decades. As part of the solution to reducing wait times, this model allows for flexibility, the ability to scale up to meet increased demands, benefits from the efficiency of the private sector, and is an example of government and business working together to deliver results for Albertans.
These actions will help to lessen surgery wait times, reduce backlog, preserve the accessibility of the province’s public health care system, and improve the lives of many Albertans.