Government introduces plan to address surgical backlogs

Premier Furey announced a new approach for dealing with the surgical waitlist for hip and knee joint replacement surgeries on Thursday.

As of this fall, some hip and knee replacements will be performed on an outpatient basis, eliminating the need for a post-operative hospital stay.

The introduction of same-day joint replacements will help to minimize wait times and improve access to care as in some cases lack of available beds for in-patient care has been a barrier to a patient receiving planned surgery.

While not all patients will be clinically eligible for this surgical approach, the government says it will have a significant impact on overall wait times.

Furey said, "the measures we announced today to help address hip and knee joint replacement surgeries represent another collaborative effort to help residents of our province get quality care in a timely manner."