Project hopes to speed up knee, hip surgery

The province is hoping to reduce the amount of time it takes patients to get hip and new replacements done by using a central clinic and streamlining the referral process.

Health Minister Iris Evans says it's hoped an additional 1,200 surgeries will be performed in the province.

Right now, patients waiting for knee or hip replacements can wait up to 18 months for surgery. Under the pilot project, doctors hope that will drop to an average of four months.

"No matter what we build to reduce wait times and give access to patients to hospital beds and so on, that's only part of the equation," Evans said. "The really important part is how do we co-ordinate that service delivery so we can get them in front of the surgeon as quickly as possible, particularly when they need it."

The pilot project will be used in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer, and will see patients attend a hip and knee replacement centre, where they will be cared for by a team, rather than just being referred to a surgeon.

Evans says that will reduce the time between appointments and improve communication between nurses, doctors and physiotherapists.

She said if successful, the model could be expanded to other kinds of surgeries.

The pilot project will cost $20 million.