Surgery wait times drop in B.C., Ont. (B.C.)

Wait times for surgeries and other necessary medical treatments have decreased since last year in B.C. and Ontario but are up in other parts of the country, according to a report by the Fraser Institute released Tuesday. The conservative think tank says the improvement in B.C., Ontario and a few other provinces is small, and more headway could be made under a private health care system. The 18th edition of Waiting Your Turn: Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada concluded Ontario had the shortest average total waiting period (the wait between visiting a general practitioner and receiving treatment) in the country, at 13.3 weeks, a decrease from, 15 weeks in 2007. B.C. had the second shortest at 17 weeks, down from 19 weeks a year ago, and just under the national average of 17.3 weeks. Saskatchewan had the longest total wait time... [read full story]