A report commissioned by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority has highlighted issues with the cardiac science program.
The University of Ottawa Heart Institute conducted the review and says the waiting list for elective echocardiograms was at about 4,000 people at the time of the study. According to the Heart Institute, “This is way outside the acceptable value.”
On Tuesday, Dr. Brock Wright, the WRHA’s Chief Medical Officer, said that number was now closer to 3,000 but he acknowledged that is still not at the level the WRHA would like it to be.
With a wait list of 3,000 to 4,000 people, it can take months for a patient to have the imaging procedure done.
Dr. Wright did indicate that urgent cases are given priority on the wait list.
The report was also critical of the number of cancellations of booked surgeries, something it blames on bottlenecks in the cardiac surgical ward.
Dr. Wright said that some of the cancellations can be attributed to changes in a patient’s condition and some to logistical issues within the cardiovascular science program, such as available post-op beds.
He says it is a high priority for the WRHA to reduce the number of postponed procedures by as much as possible but he thinks it would be an unrealistic goal to expect that number to be reduced to zero.
The report did highlight some positives, saying the program had excellent results in post-operative care and mortality rates.
