A report released today by Statistics Canada indicates that access to health care services in Prince Edward Island compares favourably to other provinces.
PEI scored high in the report in several areas. For example, Islanders reported the shortest median wait times for specialist physician visits in Canada. In PEI, 58 percent of people waiting for non-emergency surgery reported wait periods of less than a month, compared to only 39.5 percent across Canada. The percentage of the PEI population who reported they had a regular family doctor was the fourth highest in the country at 93.6 percent, compared to the Canadian average of 87.7 percent.
PEI scored slightly lower than other provinces and territories in some areas, such as access to immediate care for minor health problems,particularly during evenings and weekends. The percentage of the PEI population reporting difficulty obtaining health information or advice was also slightly higher than the Canadian average.
The report found that 94.3 percent of Islanders accessed at least one first contact service in 2001, slightly more than the Canadian average of 93.7 percent.
Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem advised that the report makes available for the first time detailed information on access to services at the national level. PEI is one of three provinces who paid more to receive representative sample sizes in the survey. "We are very interested in monitoring access to health services, " said the minister. "While Islanders continue to enjoy universal access to publicly funded health services, they are concerned about their level of accessibility of services. This report, which is rich in information, tells us how we compare now, and it will continue to be of value as an evidence base to assist us in developing policy to improve access, and in monitoring changes over time."
Minister Ballem advised there are several programs now in development to address issues identified in the report. "As part of our primary care redesign initiative, family health centres will offer access to multidisciplinary primary care teams and extended hours of service. This will help to increase access to 24/7 first contact services for immediate care for minor problems, and for health information and advice," he said.
Although the report indicates that PEI's wait lists for diagnostic tests were very favourable in most areas, the number of Islanders waiting longer than three months for non-emergency MRIs, CT Scans and angiographies was higher than the average. "Hopefully we'll see a marked difference in this area in the near future as MRI services become available at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and access to a second CT Scanner is provided at the new Prince County Hospital," said the minister.
The report Access to Health Care Services in Canada, 2001 is a mechanism for public reporting and accountability following the First Minister agreement in September 2000.
You may view the backgrounder at:http://www.gov.pe.ca/publications/getpublication.php3?number=709