More than a million British Columbians are currently waiting to see a specialist, a recent survey has found.
The Consultant Specialists of BC in partnership with Doctors of BC surveyed 1,000 specialists and said the results exposed a “waitlist crisis that is severely compromising the health and well-being of British Columbians.”
Following the survey, it was revealed that a specialist’s average waitlist has 282 patients with the first consultation happening at four weeks for urgent cases, 10 weeks for semi-urgent cases, and up to 10 months for non-urgent cases. These waits are further compounded by additional wait times for subsequent diagnostic procedures, treatments, and procedures.
“For years, specialist doctors have had concerns about the increasing number of patients waiting for care along with the negative impact longer waits are having on their health,” Doctors of BC president, Dr. Charlene Lui, said in a statement.
“As well, the stress level for specialists themselves impacts them professionally and personally, contributing to burnout, medical leaves, and reduced quality of life.
“Neither patients nor doctors can afford to continue down this path.”
According to the doctors involved in the survey, this situation paints a concerning picture that patient health and well-being are deteriorating as they wait for crucial care.
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The survey found there is a shortage of specialist physicians in the province, which leads to 70 per cent of respondents saying they have increased their workloads due to their growing waitlists.
Only 11 per cent believe patients currently have adequate access to care, with even fewer feeling the system is equipped to ensure timely access to specialist care.
B.C.’s Minister of Health Josie Osbourne told Global News the province is taking steps to lower wait times for patients.
“We are hiring more doctors, that includes specialists, than ever before in British Columbia, working to increase operating room capacity,” she said. “We’ve reduced the backlog from COVID surgeries, which allows us to really tackle the issue of the need for specialists and specialist surgeries.”
Osbourne said she met with Doctors of BC earlier this week and she knows this is an issue that needs addressing immediately.
Based on the survey results, Consultant Specialists of BC and Doctors of BC recommended the following solutions:
- Modernizing wait-list management systems.
- Expanding team-based specialist care.
- Introducing flexible payment models to support patient care.
- Investing in specialist training and recruitment.
- Enhancing rural outreach and providing resources for overburdened clinics.
“In a similar survey that we conducted almost two years ago with B.C.’s specialist physicians, it’s disheartening to see that the situation has been worsening,” Dr. Robert Carruthers, president of Consultant Specialists of BC, said in a statement.
“Back then, the survey illustrated about 1 million British Columbians were waiting for specialist care. British Columbians need things to improve.”
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