Research shows outsourcing surgeries to private clinics increases wait times

Redeye

Public health care was one of the issues that was top of mind for BC voters as they went to the polls over the past month. Election officials are conducting a final count this weekend. One thing we can be sure of is that the incoming provincial government will be tasked with resolving the issue of long wait times for surgeries like knee and hip replacements. Conservative Party leader John Rustad plans to outsource many more surgeries are likely to increase wait times dramatically, according to SFU health policy researcher Andrew Longhurst. We speak with him about the experiences of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec after they embraced surgical and hospital privatization.