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Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative Plan Unveiled

The first major health system improvement to arise from Saskatchewan's 2009 Patient First Review is underway.

The province's ground-breaking plan - Sooner, Safer, Smarter: A Plan to Transform the Surgical Patient Experience - was publicly released on March 29th. Surgeons, family physicians, nurses, therapists, health administrators, health sector organizations and associations, health unions and former surgical patients collaborated on the strategy.

The plan has been widely endorsed by the health sector and others. It outlines 25 projects that are in development or being implemented in the health system. Together, these projects will help Saskatchewan achieve shorter wait times, a better patient experience, safer and higher quality care, a healthier population, and a stable, adequate supply of patient- and family-centred care providers.

The ultimate goals are better patient care at every stage of the surgical process and achieving, within four years, a sustainable maximum wait time of three months for elective surgery.

Among the plan's initiatives will be a surgical referral website for patients and standardized safety checklists in operating rooms. It also includes an option for health regions to work with third party providers. Beginning in 2010-11, third party facilities will be able to provide outpatient surgery and specialized diagnostic imaging within the publicly funded, publicly administered health system.

"It has been energizing and encouraging to watch the health system come together for the sake of patients and families," Health Minister Don McMorris said. "We have set ambitious goals, not only to achieve short wait times, but to make fundamental improvements to surgical care from the patient's first visit to a family doctor to their rehabilitation and recovery. I'm pleased to say we're already making progress."

Dr. Peter Barrett, a Saskatoon urologist and physician leader with the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative, said the continued engagement and involvement of physicians, providers, and patients, will be critical throughout the four-year lifespan of the transformation project.

"If we can achieve this in surgery, we can transfer what we've learned to other sectors of the health system," Dr. Barrett said.

In 2010-11, the province will provide $10.5 million in funding for the surgical plan, to support:

Progress on each initiative will be monitored and evaluated, with results regularly reported to health system partners and the public.

Saskatchewan has made a commitment to put patients first. With the support and commitment of partners across the health care spectrum, our province will again be a leader in health care innovation.

For more information or a copy of the plan, visit: www.health.gov.sk.ca/saskatchewan-surgical-initiative.