Still waiting...

Where do we stand now on wait times for medical procedures in five priority areas, many years after solemn commitments were made by our governments? The Wait Time Alliance reports on the progress to date in achieving benchmarks established in the 2004 First Ministers' 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care. The benchmarks cover:

cancer
cardiac care
diagnostic imaging
joint replacement
sight restoration

A need to expand

Looking beyond the 2004 First Ministers' health accord, the WTA has expanded its membership beyond the original 5 key areas and invited other specialty societies with established benchmarks or performance goals to join.

The specialty areas now include:

anesthesiology
emergency care
gastrointestinal
obstetrics and gynaecology
psychiatry
plastic surgery
pediatric surgery

The Wait Time Alliance's recommendations encompass the need for governments to include other medical procedures in other specialty areas.