New Brunswick says wait times for knee and hip replacements in the province have been cut in half.
Officials say the number of people waiting more than a year has been reduced by more than 50 per cent.
Figures released Wednesday show the number of people on a waiting list dropped from 747 in December to 346 in April.
It is progress that is being welcomed by the president of the New Brunswick Medical Society.
“This would not have been possible without the tremendous efforts of physicians and other health-care providers, government, and the regional health authorities,” Dr Jeff Steeves said in a statement.
The province also referenced a pilot project at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Saint John which has seen more than 450 hip and knee replacement surgeries completed since mid-October.
In his statement, Steeves went on to commend the health-care providers who participated in the pilot project.
“This is an example of how New Brunswick can make significant enhancements to our health system and improve access to timely patient care,” said Steeves.
“We encourage all stakeholders to review how this successful pilot can be adapted to cut wait times for other surgeries and procedures.”
The province said it remains committed to eliminating all waiting periods of more than a year by next April.
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