Doctors call for help as hospitals tackle surgical backlogs and staff shortages

She was supposed to have two ovarian cysts, one on each side, removed in early 2020. But then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and “the world has stopped.”

Her doctor assured her that ovarian cysts are quite common and that it would be good to delay the surgery.

But over time, for over a year, the cysts got bigger and so did the pain.

Finally, her operation has been postponed until September 2021. Sword has informed her daycare clients so they can make other arrangements for childcare during what is expected to be a lengthy recovery.

But then Alberta was hit by a devastating fourth wave – and as hospital beds filled with COVID-19 patients, her surgery was once again called off.

“I went to the bathroom, I got in the shower, I sat on the floor and I cried,” she said.

Sword is among hundreds of thousands across the country whose surgical and diagnostic procedures have been delayed, according to the Canadian Medical Association.

A recent report, commissioned by the CMA from consulting firm Deloitte, estimates that there is currently a backlog of 327,800 procedures – and that at least $ 1.3 billion in additional funding will be needed “to reduce wait times at their pre-pandemic levels ”.

“This number may be even higher when additional procedures and the cancellation of elective surgeries in several provinces during the fourth wave are taken into account,” the report said.

Worse and worse

Although hospitals prioritized life-saving and urgent procedures, there are consequences for patients, like Sword, who did not meet those criteria, said Dr. Katharine Smart, pediatrician and president of the Canadian Medical Association.

“There’s no question, you know, that when services, imaging, testing, biopsies, surgeries are delayed, many people’s problems get worse, not better,” said Smart.

“So instead of having maybe a problem that would have had a simple solution or which perhaps would have required a non-invasive operation, you are now facing a much bigger problem for the patient.”

The CMA first requested urgent government funding to deal with increasing wait lists in October 2020, warning that the problem would worsen without immediate action.

“The predictions we made in October 2020 are coming true. The problem has gotten worse, not better,” said Smart.

In its campaign platform, the federal Liberal Party pledged to “immediately invest” $ 6 billion in new funds “to support the elimination of health care waiting lists.”

He also pledged to “negotiate agreements with every province and territory to ensure that Canadians waiting for care get the treatment they need as quickly as possible.”

But that specific funding didn’t materialize – and those deals don’t appear to be in place, Smart said.

“We always find that our levels of government really struggle to work together to solve the system problems we face. ”

CBC News asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office and Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos’ office about the status of the $ 6 billion pledge, but their press officers did not provide a response within time limit.

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada did not address the specific campaign commitment, but pointed to more than $ 40 billion a year in health transfers to the provinces. and territories, and said the federal government had also provided $ 19.1 billion “to support provincial and territorial health systems in 2020-21.”

“These investments will help health care systems provide Canadians with the procedures and treatments they need to stay healthy and healthy despite the backlog of delayed procedures,” the release said.

The provinces are responsible for the delivery of health care, and several have said they are working on the backlog problem. Manitoba is expected to announce the creation of a backlog working group next week. Ontario has paid backlogged funds to hospitals – but in a statement, its health ministry said some of that would be paid retroactively.

“Numerous funding streams for surgical recovery, including $ 216 million for hospitals to extend operating room hours into evenings and weekends and perform up to 67,000 additional surgeries.” , rely on reimbursing hospitals for the level of surgical output they can achieve, ”said Anna Miller, spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Health.

“As such, the exact funding amounts won’t be known until towards the end of the year, when hospitals report the number of actual surgeries that have been performed.”

WATCH | Some Albertans are heading to the United States for surgery amid the pandemic backlog:

Surgery delays push Albertans south

Alberta has delayed more than 45,000 surgeries due to the pandemic, creating wait times of several years for joint replacements. Now many of those who can afford it are heading south of the border and paying out of pocket for the surgery. 1:55

The “biggest challenge” is staffing

The head of the surgical department at one of Canada’s largest hospitals, the University Health Network in Toronto, told CBC News they “regularly catch up” on pending procedures.

Over the past few months, said Dr Shaf Keshavjee, staff have performed more than 1,000 procedures on patients whose procedures had been delayed.

They did so, he said, by renovating and opening old operating rooms that were not in use, extending surgery hours during the week and performing procedures on Saturdays.

“The downside is that people are tired and we are running out [of] nurses, like everyone else, ”Keshavjee said. “This has been our biggest challenge. “

A debilitating staff shortage is straining hospitals across Canada, Smart said.

“We really need to address the health human resource crisis and tackle the burnout that is impacting our health care professionals and better plan for the future,” she said.

“We really, really push people beyond their limits to provide care.”

Some may argue that additional funding cannot solve the staff shortage, Keshavjee said, but he disagrees.

Paying staff the same amount even if they work a lot more doesn’t make sense, he said. Funding to pay existing staff would go a long way – and more money could mean more investment in recruiting.

At the current rate they are operating, the University Health Network’s surgical backlog alone will not be cleared until March 2023, Keshavjee said.

Hospitals across the country are grappling with the same reality, including Sword’s home province of Alberta.

In early November, the number of pending surgeries reached 15,000 – and Health Minister Jason Copping said the province did not have “a clear timeline” on when procedures would resume.

Copping’s press secretary did not respond to emails from CBC requesting an update on the current backlog numbers and whether there was a plan to address the issue.

But Sword’s turn to get off the waitlist could finally come – with surgery now scheduled for January 13.

Still, she worries about when people will gather right after Christmas.

“I pray that there isn’t another wave of COVID happening around this time.”