Ontario's health-care system is grappling with significant delays in cancer surgeries, impacting thousands of patients across the province. Despite efforts to enhance the system's capacity since 2018, many individuals continue to experience extended waiting periods for crucial medical procedures. The ongoing issue has raised concerns about the overall efficiency and resilience of Ontario's health-care infrastructure.
Every day, approximately 2,000 Ontarians receive treatment in hallways, auditoriums, or doorways, a situation deemed unacceptable by many health professionals. The province's recommended timeline for Priority 2 cancer surgeries is 14 days. However, recent data indicates that only 58% of these surgeries were completed within this target time in 2023. This marks a decline from 76% in 2019, highlighting a troubling trend in patient care.
From 2020 to the end of August last year, patients faced an average wait time exceeding 36 days for surgeries intended to be performed within a two-week window. At least 10% of patients diagnosed with highly aggressive cancers have waited over twice the recommended time for surgery in recent years. Dr. David Gomez commented that only 56% of surgeries meeting target wait times in 2023 is "not ideal."
The province has made strides in increasing its capacity for cancer surgeries since 2018. Despite these efforts, over 11,000 individuals have died while waiting for care and treatment. Dr. Dominik Nowak stated that Ontarians continue to endure "severe waits" when accessing health-care services, including finding a family doctor.
“That's close to my heart and probably close to everyone's heart in this place,” – Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed his personal connection to the issue, citing his family's history with cancer.
“My brother died of cancer, my mother died of cancer, my father died of cancer.” – Doug Ford
He pledged to improve health care by increasing funding and expanding medical education in universities.
“What my promise is — we're going to have better health care. We're going to put more money into the system. We're going to have more doctors because we put more medical seats in universities,” – Doug Ford
Despite these assurances, the delays remain a significant concern for many Ontarians. Jasmine Brown emphasized the importance of timely access to care for all residents.
“All Ontarians deserve timely access to care. Our health-care system must be equipped to prioritize and sustain timely and equitable access to cancer care, and we urge decision-makers to prioritize the needs of people who are impacted by cancer,” – Jasmine Brown
Brown also highlighted the anxiety caused by delays in cancer care, as they can lead to disease progression and increased mortality risks.
“This can cause anxiety as any delay in cancer care may result in worse outcomes, including disease progression and an increased risk of death,” – Jasmine Brown
While some experts like Dr. David Urbach argue that not all Priority 2 surgeries necessitate completion within two weeks, many patients and advocates believe that prompt action is crucial.
“Very few operations that aren't emergencies that don't need to be done today need to be done within two weeks,” – Dr. David Urbach
“It's probably fine to be done in 21 days, or 28 days, or even 40 days. It's not like someone's on their way out dying … that's Priority 1, and those patients are in hospital.” – Dr. David Urbach
“Cancer evolves and progresses and spreads over the course of many years,” – Dr. David Urbach
Nonetheless, the province's ongoing investments in cancer research and support services have shown some positive outcomes. Screening rates for breast and colorectal cancer have improved compared to previous years, and more cancer surgeries have been conducted than before the pandemic.
“We're going to make sure we put every single penny we can to have a better health-care system and also connect the people … to family physicians.” – Doug Ford
