To help provide better care for patients and alleviate pressure on our current system and in particular the surgical staff at QEH and PCH, an additional general surgeon will be added to the provincial complement and be staffed at QEH, says Health and Wellness Minister Doug Currie.
“We continue to increase the number of surgeries performed in the province year after year,” said Minister Currie. “It is our goal that by adding another surgeon to the complement we will decrease the current surgeons’ patient loads and provide more consistent patient care. With a one-in-four rotation, there will be reduced locum coverage and our general surgeons will have more opportunity for follow-up care with their own patients.”
This new position will allow for a fourth general surgeon in Charlottetown and bring our total to seven general surgeons in the province.
Currently, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital performs approximately 8,000 surgeries every year and 1,200 of those are general surgeries. At the PCH, there are 2,500 surgeries per year with over 800 being general surgery.
In order to enhance capacity for more surgical services, the Department of Health and Wellness will work closely with Health PEI to determine ways to increase surgeries conducted in Summerside at PCH. In addition, major renovations are currently underway for Pre-Surgery Clinic, Day Surgery Unit, PACU and Ophthalmology Suite at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This $7.95 million physical expansion at the QEH will increase space and provide better access to surgical services for Islanders.
Use of ambulatory care services continues to increase, with over 115,000 ambulatory visits last year alone between the QEH and PCH. It is anticipated that the new $30 million ambulatory care unit at QEH will see another increase this year.
Government has recently filled the physician complement at Prince County Hospital with the hiring of Dr. Robert McKay. In 2011 the orthopaedic complement was increased by one, and Dr. Scott Wotherspoon was hired to fill that position.
“As Minister, I am pleased with the progress made to date on surgical initiatives, and our government continues to work towards better access and better care throughout our entire health care system,” said Minister Currie. “The Queen Elizabeth Hospital provides health care services for Islanders from all regions of the province. As we build on our complement of general surgeons, we are building it to meet the needs of Islanders not only for today, but for future generations.”