February 22, 2007

Investments from the McGuinty government have resulted in significant progress being made in improving access to health care services for residents in Stratford and the surrounding areas. Investments have led to reduced wait times for key health services, capital improvements and new Family Health Teams.

Reducing Wait Times

The Stratford General Hospital is a provincial leader in reducing wait times in four key priority areas (CT exams, knee replacements, cancer surgery, and cataract surgery).

To date, the government has invested more than $2 million since the start of Ontario’s Wait Time Strategy to provide 1,234 procedures at the Stratford General Hospital.

CT Exam and Knee Total Joint Replacement Success

The hospital has seen significant reductions in wait times for CT exams and knee replacements, including:

• a decline of 62 per cent for CT exams (since August/September 2005), with the 30-day wait currently the lowest in the South West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) area
• a decline of 30 per cent (or 236 days) for knee replacements (since August/September 2005).

The improvement in CT wait times is due to the new ministry-funded CT scanner that allows for increased patient volumes, adding weekend time for patients, and joining with radiologists in London who read spinal CTs. The new CT scanner at Stratford General Hospital, which began operating in August, 2005 is one of 26 replacement CTs operating across the province. This new scanner has provided approximately 2,000 additional patients access to this important diagnostic tool, equal to approximately a 25 per cent increase in operating efficiency.

The hospital’s strong working relationship with the South West Community Care Access Centre has led to most patients being discharged directly to their homes for rehabilitation, and some being transferred to transitional beds at a local retirement home. This has resulted in early discharge of clients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery resulting in reductions of hospital stays of up to three days.

Cancer Surgery

Stratford General Hospital has also seen a 39 per cent decline in wait times for cancer surgery since August/September 2005. The hospital currently has one of the lowest reported wait times for cancer surgery in the South West LHIN area.

Cataract Surgery

The hospital has seen an 81 per cent drop in wait times for cataract surgery since August 2005. The wait time of 57 days is one of the best in the province, and far below the Ontario target of 182 days.  The government has provided $266,250 in additional funding to perform 355 more cataract surgeries since the start of the Wait Time Strategy.

Capital Improvements

The government’s commitment to the redevelopment of Stratford General Hospital will improve access to emergency care, intensive care, diagnostic imaging and mental health services for area residents. It is one of the projects approved under ReNew Ontario’s five-year, $5 billion health infrastructure renewal plan.

The redevelopment will expand the capacity of the hospital’s emergency department (2,131 more visits), intensive care unit (three additional beds), surgical suite (eight additional surgery/recovery beds), diagnostic imaging (10,688 more visits), maternal child unit (realignment of beds), and mental health services (1,928 additional patient days).

To date, the government has committed more than $3 million towards prudent project planning, and support for an early works parking lot project.

Family Health Teams

The Stratford Family Health Team (FHT) and STAR FHT are improving access to primary health care services for residents of Stratford and the surrounding area.

These two Family Health Teams are made up of 24 family doctors, four nurse practitioners, two dietitians and administrative staff. Together, they provide primary health care to approximately 20 per cent of area residents, including 1,975 patients who did not have a regular doctor before now.

The McGuinty government is bringing better health care to 2.5 million Ontarians by creating 150 Family Health Teams. Family Health Teams across the province are in the process of establishing their teams and have started to recruit doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and other allied health professionals to make comprehensive health care accessible where Ontarians want it - closer to home.

For further information :

Members of the general public :
1-866-532-3161

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