NELHIN

By Stew Kernan

Significant improvement seen in hip and knee surgery wait times in the northeast.

Knee replacements are down from 409 days to 258 while almost 80% of hip surgeries are making the provincial wait time target of 182 days.

Senior Director at the Northeast Local Health Integration Network Martha Auchinleck says five Joint Assessment Centres have been set up and seen more than 19,000 people, finding 67% of patients did not require surgery.

Since 2012-13, 378 more people were able to get surgeries done in the northeast rather than having to travel out of town.