Patients waiting longer for joint replacement surgeries in Yukon

Wait times for joint replacement surgery in the Yukon have increased and, in some cases, doubled.

According to a letter to patients from doctors at the Yukon Surgical Clinic, the wait time for joint replacement used to be about a year. The doctors say patients are now waiting between 18 and 24 months for their surgeries.

"We recognize this is long and we are truly sorry. This is not where we want to be and we understand the physical and emotional impact this news may have on you," the doctors wrote.

The letter, dated March 30, lists several factors that have led to the delays. They include more patients requiring surgery, staffing problems causing operating room slowdowns, the need for surgeon support, a lack of beds and lack of funding for joint replacement surgery.

The doctors also encouraged patients to contact their MLAs about the need for better funding and to tell them how patients are being affected by long wait times.

Health Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee agreed that the extended wait times are not good enough.

"They're within the recommendations from medical professionals in the country, but it's not something we want. We want to improve those wait times," McPhee said, adding that the target wait time for these procedures is a year or less.

Only two surgeons

The Yukon's first resident orthopedic surgeon started work in 2017. A second doctor started two years later. A third surgeon was added in 2021 to help reduce wait times for elective surgeries and to reduce the need for medical travel for surgery. That year, the first full hip replacement was completed in the territory's history. However, the program is now back down to two surgeons.

McPhee said there's a committee with representation by surgeons, the Yukon Hospital Corporation and Department of Health and Social Services. She said this committee allocates the number of procedures per discipline based on factors like wait times and urgency while leaving space for emergencies.

She said she hopes this committee will find a solution to the issues raised by the surgeons, adding she has spoken to one of them who signed the letter.

"You have to tell me what you think are the practical problems on the ground and how you would suggest they be fixed. And then we will be talking to the [Yukon Hospital Corporation] and the experts at the department so that we can come up with a solution," McPhee said.

The Yukon Party's health critic, Brad Cathers, raised the surgeons' letter during question period this week. Cathers drew a connection between the delayed surgeries and the government, which he claimed has "short-changed" the hospital corporation on operating funds.

"So we're hearing continued lip service from the minister, but the budget speaks for itself and the surgeons speak for themselves," Cathers said.

"The hospital can't do what they need to do without adequate funding from the Yukon government."

Cathers also called on the government to develop a wait time reduction strategy.

NDPLeader Kate White pointed out that the delayed surgeries result in people living with pain for up to two years. She said the government made a choice to offer joint replacements in the territory to spare people the trouble of medical travel. That's why she believes the government has an obligation to get them in surgery sooner, even if that's out-of-territory.

"If we're not able to perform those surgeries here because we're short staffed at the hospital and we don't have the beds, we don't have the nurses to offer that support, then let's make sure that people aren't the ones suffering," White said.