Waterloo region one of three areas to see cataract surgeries performed by private clinics under new provincial plan

The provincial government is rolling out a plan that will see some for-profit community surgical and diagnostic centres take on more responsibilities in a bid to reduce the backlog of surgeries across the province.

On Monday, the province said the changes will be carried out in a three-step program, leveraging community surgical and diagnostic centres to eliminate surgical backlogs and reduce wait times.

Kitchener and Waterloo will be one of three communities where cataract surgeries will be performed in community clinics instead of hospitals.

The other areas which will see private clinics perform cataract surgeries as part of step one are Windsor and Ottawa.

It's estimated 14,000 cataract surgeries can be done through these centres, equating to roughly a quarter of the current wait list. These centres include both not-for-profit and for-profit clinics.

The plan will add 14,000 more OHIP-insured cataract surgeries each year, expand community-based clinics to perform more surgeries such as cataracts and MRI and CT imaging and introduce legislation to expand surgeries for hip and knee replacements in community-based clinics by 2024, Mike Harris MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga said in a news release.

Harris’ office said the Waterloo-area clinic that will be a part of this plan in TLC Laser Eye Centres in Waterloo -- a brand under Vision Group Canada.

“We are honoured to have been selected by the Ontario Ministry of Health to support improved access to vital cataract care services in the Kitchener-Waterloo region,” Vision Group Canada Regional Director Marion Marshall said in an email. “At Vision Group Canada, we are dedicated to delivering the highest quality care to our patients while actively addressing the prolonged waitlists and backlog of cases that patients are currently experiencing. We are pleased to be a part of the solution and look forward to serving the community.”

St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener told CTV News, staff have already been sending some of its cataract patients to TLC Laser Eye Centre for surgeries, to try to reduce its own backlogs during the pandemic.

“We know cataracts have taken a particular hit during the pandemic,” said Rebecca Stuart with the hospital. “And what that allows us to do at St Mary’s is really preserve those critical resources with an acute care hospital.” 

The province says these surgeries will be done with existing health human resources and will be covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).

“We need to be bold, innovative and creative,” Health Minister Sylvia Jones said at a news conference Monday, adding all of these procedures will be covered for patients under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).

“We need to build on the spirit of collaboration on display across the health-care sector.”

The plan will see $18 million invested in existing centres with the goal of reducing wait lists for cataract surgeries to pre-pandemic levels by this March.

According to the province, there are currently an estimated 206,000 people waiting for surgical procedures. Last fall, there were approximately 209,000 patients waiting for a hospital operating room-based surgical procedure in Ontario, and about 200,000 before the pandemic.

“When it comes to your health, the status quo is no longer acceptable,” Premier Doug Ford said in a news release. “Our government is taking bold action to reduce wait times for surgeries, all while ensuring Ontarians use their OHIP card to get the care they need, never their credit card.”

The legislative changes that will allow private clinics to perform more surgeries is not a temporary measure to deal with the backlog, Ford clarified.

“This would be permanent,” he said, citing an aging population and immigrant population who are in need of healthcare.

“This is one step of making sure we provide care. No matter if cataract, hip replacements, knee replacements, foot surgeries, diagnostics," he said while stressing this will take the burden off hospitals and allow them to focus on critical procedures.

Allan Fraser went to a private clinic two years ago to get cataract surgery due to long wait times. (Stephanie Villella/CTV News Kitchener)

FERGUS PATIENT IS HOPEFUL

Allen Fraser from Fergus was diagnosed with a cataract in his left eye and needed to go for surgery.

“I went to the surgeon and she said that if you wait it’s a two year waiting list through OHIP,” Fraser said.

He instead opted to go to a private clinic and paid thousands of dollars out of pocket to get the surgery done within six weeks.

“Because my eye was that bad. I would look left and I would miss cars that are coming. So she said you need to get it fixed now, so I opted for the private surgery,” he said.

Fraser applauds the Ford government’s plan to perform publicly-funded surgeries, like cataract procedures, in private clinics.

“If OHIP covers it, covers the full buck, sure why not, then you don’t have to wait,” Fraser said.

Fraser said he soon will need cataract surgery in his right eye and hopes the wait will be much shorter to have the procedure covered by OHIP.

CATARACT CASES AT CAMBRIDGE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Staff at Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH) said they’ve already had some relief in the last year due to their partnership with a community provider, Clear Vision, which began in March 2022.

This fiscal year, CMH staff said their new partnership has helped with about 65 per cent of their cataract surgeries.

“Had we not transferred the 1,294 cataract cases, patients would have waited longer, and it could have reduced our capacity to perform other surgeries,” said Stephan Beckhoff, a spokesperson for CMH.

Beckhoff said the currently wait list is 755 for all eye surgeries. In February 2022, CMH had more than 1,300 cases waiting for cataract surgeries.

“We are cautiously optimistic that any future changes to send cases into the community will be done in partnership with the hospital system and that it will not disrupt our already stretched human health resources,” said Beckhoff.

 

With files from CTV Toronto.