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Troubleshooting Wait Times: How to get care and get it quickly

In 2004, the federal government agreed to invest $4.5 billion over the course of six years to reduce provincial wait times across Canada. This investment was primarily geared towards reducing wait times in six benchmark areas: joint replacement, cataract surgery, coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and cancer radiotherapy.

While wait times in these areas have undergone some improvement in certain provinces, this is not necessarily the case for others. And what about the wait times for general health concerns or for medical procedures not listed above? Many Canadians still find themselves waiting to see their family doctor, get a referral to a specialist, or receive faster treatment for emergencies. However, there is good news: No matter what type of care you are looking for, there are always steps you can take to speed up the process.

Finding a doctor faster
Getting referred to a specialist sooner
Tackling the emergency room (ER)
Fast-tracking treatments and procedures
Locating provincial wait times information

Finding a doctor faster

If your first hurdle is getting that initial appointment to have your health assessed, confirm a diagnosis, or get a referral, here are some tips to help you try and locate a family doctor faster:

• Contact your provincial nurse hotline. They may have regional lists of doctors currently accepting new patients.
• Use your provincial find-a-doctor service or visit the College of Physicians and Surgeons website. Often, both of these resources will indicate which doctors may be taking on new patients.
• Consider seeing another qualified health professional, such as a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant, as they can also refer you to appropriate care providers.
• Ask around. It doesn’t hurt to have friends and family members ask their physicians if they are willing to take on a new patient. Sometimes, doctors will make an exception for family members or partners. If you mention you are searching for a doctor at your local walk-in clinic, they may be able to share with you a list of doctors accepting new patients in the area.

You can find other helpful tips by reading “8 Helpful Hints for Finding a Doctor Faster” and “Family Doctor, Nurse Practitioner or Physician’s Assistant – Who should I see, and when?” located on this website.

Getting referred to a specialist sooner

Even if you have a family doctor and you’ve already gotten your referral, you may find that you are still waiting for that first appointment with the specialist. Don’t despair! There are some tricks to making sure you see a specialist sooner rather than later:

• Most provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons websites will allow you to do an advanced search and look for a specialist. Sometimes these websites will even indicate if a particular specialist happens to be accepting new referrals. If the referral status is unlisted, you can call the specialist’s office and speak to a receptionist to find out. Be sure to ask if there is a wait time when you call. Depending on which wait time is lowest, you then have the option of asking your doctor for another referral.
• You may not have realized it, but specialist appointments are prioritized based on urgency. There may be appointment times held specifically for patients that might require immediate attention. If the administrator deems your case to be low priority, you could be added to the bottom of the queue. Let the office know that you want the earliest possible appointment. Also, if your condition changes, inform your doctor right away—your referral may be prioritized differently.
• You may want to enlist the support of your family doctor. If you show how important a timely appointment is to you, you might just get seen faster.

For more information on seeing a specialist, take a look at the “Specialists” article on this website.

Tackling the emergency room (ER)

Most Canadians have experienced waiting in an emergency room for hours at least once in their lifetime. Although a long wait in the ER may appear to be inevitable, there are ways to bring down your wait time when seeking emergency care:

• While true emergencies always warrant a trip to a hospital emergency room, sometimes you can get the care you need elsewhere. Know the different types of care facilities available—depending on the severity of your condition, you might be able to seek treatment at a walk-in clinic or urgent care centre instead of the ER.
• As soon as you’ve arrived at the ER, locate a nurse to speak with about all of your symptoms. Or, if you are not well enough to do so on your own, have a loved one speak on your behalf. Don’t leave anything out; the sequence and severity of your symptoms matter. Being honest and detailed with the first health professional you see can make a difference in how soon you are seen by an emergency room physician.
• If you or your loved one observes any worsening of your symptoms, update the emergency room nurse immediately.

Learn more about your options when it comes to types of care facilities.

Fast-tracking treatments and procedures

If you are one of the many Canadians waiting to have a test performed or trying to access treatment more rapidly, the following information may prove invaluable:

Information: One of the best things you can do is to simply ask how you can receive the necessary care faster. Speak with the receptionist or nurse about your options. If your schedule allows for you to come in on short notice (due to a cancellation), ask to be put on a notification list. Also, many provinces list wait times based on procedure or by hospital. Are you willing to travel farther from home for your test or procedure? Check out neighbouring hospitals to see if their estimated wait time is worth the extra travel time.

Advocacy: There may be large, well-connected organizations associated with your condition that can advocate for you. Locate these types of community support groups here. Also, both your employer and insurer may be able to offer you some support—don’t be afraid to ask! These two unexpected allies have an interest in seeing you get healthy again as soon as possible.

Self-management: Keeping your own personal health record ensures that you and your doctors have a shared understanding of your condition at all times. If your medical file goes missing or if test results aren't delivered on time, you risk long delays. If you have your own copy, you can avoid mix-ups and delays altogether. It’s important to bring along your family doctor’s contact information (such as a fax number) when undergoing testing. If you want to ensure your doctor receives a copy of your test results, make it clear to the medical secretary.

Networking: One million Canadians work in health care—and, chances are, you may know one of them! From the doctor in your family to the friend who is a ward clerk at a local hospital, these "insiders" might be able to help, or will likely be able to direct you to someone who can. A friend who has had a similar health problem could also be a valuable resource, providing you with support, advice, and recommendations.

Appropriateness: You always want to be sure that you really need the test or treatment you are seeking, and that you are receiving the appropriate care for your health needs. It’s never a bad idea to request a second medical opinion to find out if there might be another explanation for your symptoms or if there’s an alternate treatment available to you.

Locating provincial wait times information

The table below provides links (where available) to wait times data based on your province or territory of residence. Wait times are reported differently across Canada, making accurate comparison virtually impossible. Keep in mind that emergency or urgent procedures are mostly excluded from wait times measurement, so patients with more urgent needs get treated faster than this data would indicate.

* Source: Health Canada

Province/ Territory	Wait Times Website	Associated Conditions/ Procedures
Alberta†	Alberta Wait Times Reporting Website	Cancer Cardiac Diagnostic Imaging Joint Replacement Sight Restoration Other‡
British Columbia	Surgical Wait Times See also the BC Surgical Patient Registry Program.	Cardiac Joint Replacement Sight Restoration Cancer Other‡
Manitoba	Manitoba Wait Time Information	Cancer Cardiac Diagnostic Imaging Joint Replacement Sight Restoration Other‡
New Brunswick	Surgical Wait Time in New Brunswick New Brunswick Cancer Network (NBCN) National Benchmarks New Brunswick Heart Centre’s Wait Times	Cancer Cardiac Joint Replacement Sight Restoration Other‡
Newfoundland & Labrador	Department of Health & Community Services: Provincial Wait Time Updates	Cancer Cardiac Joint Replacement Sight Restoration
Northwest Territories†	Stanton Territorial Health Authority’s Surgical Wait Numbers Wait times are listed for the Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife, where most surgeries in the Northwest Territories are performed.	Other‡
Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia’s Wait Times	Cancer Cardiac Diagnostic Imaging Joint Replacement Sight Restoration Other‡
Nunavut	Nunavut does not track wait times as most non-emergency surgeries are performed outside of the territory
Ontario†	Ontario Wait Times Cancer Care Ontario’s Wait Times Cardiac Care Network’s Cardiac Wait Times	Cancer Cardiac Diagnostic Imaging Joint Replacement Sight Restoration Other‡
Prince Edward Island	Prince Edward Island Wait Times	Cancer Diagnostic Imaging Joint Replacement Sight Restoration
Quebec	Access to specialized medical services (see left-hand column for wait times by type of specialized medical service provided)	Cancer Cardiac Joint Replacement Sight Restoration Other‡
Saskatchewan	Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative's Wait Time Information If you are currently waiting for surgery and would like more information, you can contact the Surgical Care Co-ordinator/Regional Contacts in the Health Region where you will be having your procedure. Saskatchwean Cancer Agency Wait Times Information	Cancer Cardiac Diagnostic Imaging Joint Replacement Sight Restoration Other‡
Yukon	The Yukon does not currently offer detailed wait times data. Of the eight priority areas in weight time reduction identified by the provinces and territories of Canada, four (knee replacements, cataract surgery, mammography, and cervical screening) are performed in the Yukon. All other procedures are performed in medical centres in British Columbia or Alberta.	Cancer Joint Replacement Sight Restoration

Key Websites:

• Canadian Institute for Health Information: Access and wait times
• Health Canada: Wait times in Canada

Related Articles:

• Family Doctor, Nurse Practitioner, or Physician's Assistant: Who should I see, and when?
• Specialists: Getting referred and getting seen fast
• How Can Your Provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons Help You?

References