The report found roughly 743,000 fewer surgeries were performed in Canada during the first two-and-a-half years of the pandemic and the drop in procedures was more pronounced for those living in lower-income neighbourhoods. Despite the drop in surgeries, overtime hours in public hospitals from 2020 to 2021 increased by 15% over the previous year. The findings also shone a spotlight on other healthcare issues, including staff shortages and burnout, levels of access to personal health information and the roughly one in 10 Canadians who don't have a regular healthcare provider. In N.B., the estimated percentage change in number of surgeries performed monthly between Mar. 2020 and Sep. 2022 was 13% lower compared with 2019. The report also showed N.B. has an average wait time of 66 days for mental health counselling, three times the national average, which is 22 days.
Related:
L’ICIS diffuse son premier rapport sur les domaines prioritaires en santé au Canada - ICIS
Surgery backlogs, staff shortages, no family doctor: New report highlights Canada’s healthcare crisis - CBC news
CIHI report confirms we must act decisively to address the nursing crisis - RNAO