Wait for wait time strategy: Tories

The governing Progressive Conservatives said Friday they will reduce wait times in emergency rooms and for somesurgeries, although they did not spell out many details.

"Within the first 120 days in office, we will produce a provincial strategy on reducing wait times in emergency rooms," PC Leader Kathy Dunderdale said in a statement.

The party also made a similar pledge on producing a strategy for orthopedic surgeries for joint replacement.

With both, however, the party did not disclose many details on its plans, including targets and outcomes it expects the health-care system to deliver.

The Tories, whounveiled their overall platform on Thursday, say they will spend between $25 million and $30 million on the new newly announced strategies.

Newfoundland and Labrador has already committed to reducing wait times in five areas agreed to by the provinces. The most recent data,released this June, shows that the province is comparatively lagging in orthopedic wait times. [See chart above.]

For instance, while 79 per cent of knee replacement surgeries nationally were done within benchmark times, the rate provincially was 67 per cent.

Lags were also reported for hip replacements, and no provincial data were available last year for hip fracture replacement wait times.

Dunderdale unveiled the platform plank on wait times during a campaign stop at Dr. G.B. Cross Memorial Hospital in Clarenville. [Click here for our Follow The Leadersinteractive feature.]