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4mo ago

Canada Performs More Surgeries but Wait Times Continue to Grow

A shortage of surgical staff alongside growing demand from an aging population is prolonging wait lists.

Ambulances are lined up at a hospital in Toronto on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Ontario is telling emergency services to consider having paramedic crews tend to more than one patient at a time in hospital ERs, as one way to reduce delays. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
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Overview

  • Hip and knee replacements rose by more than 20% from April–September 2019 to the same period in 2024, while the share completed within six months declined.
  • Breast, bladder, colorectal and lung cancer surgeries increased in 2024 but experienced longer waits, and prostate cancer delays grew from 41 to 50 days.
  • Median wait times for MRI exams climbed by 15 days and CT scan delays by three days compared with pre-pandemic levels.
  • Cataract surgery waits remained largely unchanged, with 69% of patients treated within 16 weeks in 2024 versus 70% in 2019.
  • The CIHI report compares data from April 1 to Sept. 30 in both 2019 and 2024 to assess how post-pandemic surgical backlogs have evolved.