A new study says waiting periods for specialist treatments are higher than ever in Canada, but one health research organization says most Canadians are still receiving priority procedures within acceptable time frames.
The Fraser Institute has released its annual report on queues for specialist visits and for diagnostic and surgical procedures, based on surveys of about 2,400 specialist physicians.
The free-enterprise think tank says the median wait time from referral to treatment is 21.2 weeks in Canada, up from 20 weeks last year.
It says Ontario reported the shortest total wait at 15.4 weeks while New Brunswick reports the longest at 41.7 weeks.
Study author Bacchus Barua says other countries with universal health care including Australia and France have shorter wait times and generally they partner with the private sector to deliver services.
But the Canadian Institute for Health Information says the medically acceptable wait time for a hip or knee replacement is 26 weeks and more than 70 per cent of Canadians receive treatment within that time frame.