The UCP claims it is addressing pressures with its new Heath Care Action Plan (HCAP) and now Alberta's will have access to thousands more publicly funded orthopedic surgeries at Calgary chartered surgical facilities..“Albertans are waiting too long for life-changing knee and hip surgeries in Calgary, many of whom are in pain," Minister of Health Jason Copping said Monday.."Our Health Care Action Plan will accelerate adding more surgeries both at hospitals across Alberta and at chartered surgical facilities to bring down wait times to the waiting period recommended by medical experts.”.HCAP identified decreasing surgical wait times as one of its key priorities. To help reduce the amount of time that Albertans wait for the surgeries they need, the UCP government is contracting more publicly-funded surgeries from independent facilities..Canadian Surgery Solutions will begin offering more than 3,000 additional hip, knee replacements and other joint procedures a year, under a new contract with Alberta Health Services (AHS) starting this January..Currently, about 6,000 people in Calgary are waiting for orthopedic surgeries. More than half are waiting longer than the clinically appropriate time for knee and hip replacements..HCAP provides a mandate for the AHS official administrator lower surgery wait times to within clinically recommended times. By performing more surgeries in unused operating rooms and chartered surgical facilities, Albertans will not be waiting as long to receive their surgeries..This contract will increase orthopedic procedures performed in the Calgary area by 21% compared with 2021-22..“This contract will ensure AHS continues to improve access to surgical care for many Albertans," Mauro Chies, interim president and CEO of AHS said.."We’re looking forward to working with Canadian Surgery Solutions, and other groups as we continue to explore opportunities for further expansion. Thank you to our partners and all the teams at AHS who are working together to make this happen. We value all of you and your dedication to Albertans.”."Contracting facilities and hospitals are managed in common through our publicly funded healthcare system. contracted services are publicly funded services. Just like in hospitals, patients are assessed and waitlists are in common and they get care from the same surgeons according to the same clinical standards," Copping said.."When we fund more services, either hospitals or CSS. The publicly funded system grows. Hospitals and CSS don't steal staff or physicians from each other.".Copping said they're part of the same system and they grow together.."More patients will get their joint replacements sooner. Right now there are about 6000 people waiting for orthopedic surgeries in Calgary alone, and they're waiting too long," Copping said.."About half the patients waiting for new hips are waiting too long and two thirds of patients waiting for knees. We're making progress in surgery. But quite frankly, we have to do more. AHS has restored surgery volume to about the same level as in 2018-2019 In recent months.".AHS aims to expand surgery capacity in the Central and South zones. AHS has issued two requests for proposals for chartered surgical facilities, seeking 1,350 surgeries in the Central Zone and about 1,250 more procedures in the South Zone, ranging from hip and knee to general surgeries.
