High wait times for children needing surgery could lead to lifelong consequences

Half of the children in Canada who need surgery are facing wait times that far exceed clinical recommendations for treatment, a situation experts say could have serious, lifelong consequences for young patients’ development. Among the children whose diagnoses were delayed are tens of thousands facing waits of months or even years for assessment of conditions that require early intervention and treatment, such as autism spectrum disorder. Children’s Healthcare Canada is calling for a national strategy to ensure timely, equitable access to pediatric healthcare across the country. It hopes to see increased funding for youth mental health treatment and improvements to the way data on pediatric health outcomes are monitored and collected. The organization is also calling for funding to reduce the backlog of childhood surgeries and an improved focus on training health professionals to work in pediatric surgery.