CANADA’S
NEW GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES PILOT PROJECT FOR WAIT TIME GUARANTEES FOR
CHILDREN
TORONTO
– Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the government is
investing $2.6 million in a Wait Time Guarantee pilot project for children
in need of surgery. This
announcement marks another step forward by Canada’s New Government as it
continues to work towards ensuring that all Canadians receive essential
medical treatment within clinically acceptable waiting times.
“Ultimately,
today’s initiative will lead to a Patient Wait Time Guarantee for all
children,” said Prime Minister Harper.
The
15-month pilot project, which begins January 2007, will include the
development of the first pan-Canadian wait times information system to
measure the burden of waiting times for children who need surgery. It will
also include the development of a pan-Canadian clinical recourse plan for
children whose surgical wait times fall beyond the clinical access
guidelines that were proposed by the National Child and Youth Health
Coalition and endorsed by the Paediatric Surgical Chiefs of Canada.
The
initial focus of the project will be on six key surgical areas: cardiac,
cancer, neurology, sight, spinal deformity, and dental treatment requiring
anaesthesia. Within one year, one of these areas will be chosen to test a
guarantee that will include recourse for patients who are waiting too
long.
“As
a parent, I know there’s nothing more heart-wrenching than seeing a
child suffer,” said the Prime Minister.
“Because they’re Canada’s future, our children deserve the
best medical care possible delivered as promptly as possible.”
The
project, which is the fourth such wait time guarantee initiative announced
to date by Canada’s New Government, will be conducted in partnership
with Canada’s 16 paediatric academic health science centres under the
leadership of the Paediatric Surgical Chiefs of Canada and The Hospital
for Sick Children.
