NH Continuing Efforts To Reduce Surgery Wait Lists

Saturday, November 06, 2010 03:51 AM

Prince George, B.C. - With an eye to meeting its goal of reducing surgery wait times across the region, Northern Health's board of directors has received a 94-page consultant's report on how best to do that in the Northwest.

Northern Health has set an overall target of less than 10-percent of patients waiting longer than 26-weeks from decision for surgery, with a particular focus in 2009/10 on orthopaedic surgery. The health authority has been working towards that goal by collaborating with surgeons to reduce surgical waits through enhanced capacity and by more actively managing the waitlists.

In the 'Northwest Surgical Services Review', the consultant notes, "In 2009/10, it is expected that the percentage of patients waiting longer than 26 weeks for hip/knee replacement surgery (across the Northern Health region) will drop from greater than 60-percent to less than 45-percent, with further reductions expected in 2010/11."

The report sets out a number of recommendations on how to best meet the wait list reduction goals in the northwest, including:

Creation of a Change Leadership position to lead the transition and support the Committee;

Designation of a medical lead to provide medical leadership to the Change Leadership position and Committee;

Development of a communication plan that includes community and physician engagement;

Implementation of a population health planning model that supports the shifting demographics of the Northwest, is grounded in evidence and supported by robust data and information;

Improvements to the health human resource planning across the NWHSDA ; and

Site level quality improvement and assurance initiatives to improve the delivery of services.

NH Board of Directors Chair, Dr. Charles Jago, says, "This review represents another step in developing enhanced surgical and trauma services in the northwest, with a focus on quality across the north."

He says while no decisions have been made around what surgical services in the northwest will look like in the future, this review will serve as a springboard for discussions with stakeholders on ensuring residents in that area have access to a high-quality and sustainable program of services.

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Posted on Saturday, November 06, 2010 03:51 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Norm on November 6 2010 10:57 AM

Why would I have to wait 3-5 months for a heel spur to be removed when I can go to a local surgery clinic and have the same doctor preform the operation within a week and at great expense to me. In my opinion the hospital needs to get their act together, get rid of excess management and start serving the public. Why do operating rooms sit empty? There seem to be sufficient doctors because they are operating at the clinic.

Posted by: 21deebee on November 6 2010 2:30 PM

Norm it takes a hell of a lot more than dr's to preform surgery just because there may be sufficient doctors doesn not mean there are sufficient resources.

Posted by: camoose on November 6 2010 2:36 PM

Create a few more management positions in Northern Health. That should solve the problem alright.

Posted by: gus on November 6 2010 3:34 PM

So, 21deebee, are you telling us that the doctors performing heel spur removals at a surgery clinic are doing so without those other required resources?

Maybe you are telling us that the surgery performed at the surgery clinic is riskier than that performed at a hospital?

Or maybe you are telling us that because less resources are required, they are more efficient and even more effective?

What exactly are you telling us.

Posted by: gus on November 6 2010 3:43 PM

Let me see if I have this right.

1. Creation of a Change Leadership position to lead the transition and support the Committee

So existing leader A will transition her team/program to new leader B, through an intermediary leader C who will be the leader in charge of the transition. So why do they not just hire or reassign new leader B to shadow existing leader A?

2. Designation of a medical lead to provide medical leadership to the Change Leadership position and Committee

Ah, of coure, the intermediary leader C of course has far to large a work load having to deal with two people, so she will need the help of a medical lead.

I don't know, but I would vote for getting a second opinion....... LOL

Posted by: Harbinger on November 6 2010 8:14 PM

When I read the headline, the first thing to cross my mind was....wait for it....more buses! I was wrong. Drat!