British Columbia
Waitlists in B.C. are equal to the Canadian average.
The provincial government has posted a waiting list website which on the surface appears to indicate that the waits are not unreasonably long. Not withstanding this website, we continue to get calls from British Columbians in Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and other areas, who are in their second or even third year of waiting. How can this be? The answer is that the website only measures the length of wait after a surgery date has been set at a hospital. The problem is that this only measures one small element of the waiting time, the length of wait after being given a “firm” surgical/hospital date. Click here to view examples of Public vs. Private wait times.
By the way, the website states that there is no evidence that wait times are shorter in countries which have two tier (private and public) medical systems. This is of course, complete nonsense. The waitlists in France for example, are non-existent. There are no waits for medical care.
The Fraser Institute publishes an annual list of the number of patients waiting for treatment after having had their first meeting with a specialist. The numbers for BC are:
| British Columbia Numbers on Waitlists | |||
Procedure | # of Patients Waiting For Surgery in 2010 | Average Wait Time For Surgery in 2010 | Percentage Change from 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gynecology | 4,774 | 23 Weeks | + 1% |
| Ophthalmology | 15,280 | 34 Weeks | + 34.4% |
| Otolaryngology | 3,698 | 41 Weeks | - 17.9% |
| General Surgery | 6,541 | 32 Weeks | - 20% |
| Neurosurgery | 1,539 | 34 Weeks | + 108% |
| Orthopedic Surgery | 17,220 | 33 Weeks | - 9.5% |
| Cardiovascular Surgery | 2,847 | 19 Weeks | + 665% |
| Urology | 2,627 | 19 Weeks | - 50% |
*These numbers do not reflect the total number of patients waiting for surgery in B.C. These are just for the most common specialties
Local Options
B.C. residents have more options for private medical services than those in other provinces. Everything from primary medical care (G.P.’s and family physicians) to diagnostic procedures (MRI’s, CT scans, PET scans, ultrasound services, nuclear bone scans, gastroscopies, colonoscopies etc), to surgical procedures (cataract surgeries, vertebroplasties, orthopedic surgery, pacemaker implantation, hernia repair, carpal tunnel release, discectomies, etc) is available privately, within B.C., through Timely Medical.
U.S. Options
We are able to facilitate virtually any medical procedure at one of our partner hospitals in the U.S.. Typical U.S. referrals include cancer biopsies/treatment, hip/knee/shoulder joint replacement, spinal surgery, sleep disorder studies, advanced pain management, cardiac procedures including angioplasties, ablation and by-pass surgeries. All of these procedures are available through Timely Medical, at first rate medical facilities in 22 American hospitals in 13 U.S. states.
Quebec Options
Quebec is the only Canadian province where we can access total knee and hip joint replacement surgeries.
Political Climate
To view letter of endorsement from B.C. M.P. Chuck Strahl click here.
To view letter of endorsement from B.C. M.P. Stockwell Day click here.
On a scale of 1 – 10, the current B.C. Ministry of health is a “6″ in terms of acceptance of private alternatives.
Toll free:
604-998-3361
We would love to help. Contact us directly for estimated costs of the range of medical procedures we are able to access.
