Waiting times for CT scans and MRIs in Manitoba - the NDP are managing very badly

Thursday November 30: The NDP have done a terrible job of managing waiting times for CT scans and MRI tests in Manitoba. My question on this subject provides some insight into why this is so. The system set up by the NDP is promoting the ordering of multiple tests and procedures when only one is necessary. Sadly the answers by the Minister of Health reveal her lack of insight into the problem. The following is from Hansard in the Manitoba Legislature:

Wait Times - Diagnostic Tests

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, the facts on health care and this problem are bad and getting worse. As the national Wait Time Alliance reports, Manitobans now have to wait eight to eleven weeks to get CT and MRI scans. These diagnostic tests are done at the very front end of health care, at the start of a medical assessment. Extra wait times for diagnostic tests means that the next step in care and treatment must have an additional eight to eleven weeks in order to happen. It doesn't matter whether the treatment is surgery, drug treatment, chemotherapy, radiation treatment or whatever, every step is now delayed eight to 11 weeks all because the diagnostic tests are not available.
Why is the minister running a health care system with such lengthy, up-front delays and wait times? Why is this minister making patients wait eight to eleven weeks extra?

Hon. Theresa Oswald (Minister of Health): Mr. Speaker, we did see reports in the media yesterday of a report card concerning wait times on a national level and specific to Manitoba, and I was very pleased with elements of the report card. Certainly, we see that we have in Manitoba challenges as well. [The Minister goes on to address wait times in other areas rather than the wait times for CT scans and MRI tests which was the subject of this question].

Mr. Gerrard: I'm rather surprised that the minister is happy at such long wait times for CT and MRI scans. My goodness. You know, what is important is not just the number of MRI scanners and CT scanners, but it's actually whether people can get access to care. But, maybe, the minister in the statistics which were reported did not take into account that family practitioners in this province can't order MRI scans, and, therefore, the real wait time is the three months it takes to see a specialist, and then the eight to 10 weeks that it takes to get an MRI scan.
When will the minister end this cover-up and acknowledge that the real wait is five months instead of three months?

Ms. Oswald: Well, with the greatest of respect, Mr. Speaker, I think that the theorizing of the member opposite calls into question a number of his facts. As I said before, I certainly do acknowledge, and we acknowledge on this side of the House, in making health care a priority, we need to look at the wait times for all situations and that includes diagnostic imaging. [The Minister sadly never gets to the real issue which is that the real wait time for MRI scans is much longer than the wait time that is reported. Unfortunately, the province has not set standards for when MRI tests are needed. Instead of setting standards - which would allow family practitioners to order tests when the standards are met - and refer the patient to a specialist only when there is uncertainty, the province requires family practitioners to refer all patients to a specialist who then orders the MRI. The result is that the real wait from the time the family practitioner sees the patient is often three months to see a specialist and then eight weeks for the MRI or a total of five months, rather than the eight weeks reported.]

Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, the facts are often that there's a wait for three months for a specialist. The facts are, as we heard yesterday, at least an eight-week wait for an MRI scan. The fact is that, because a family practitioner can't rely on quick access to an MRI scan when needed, family practitioners often order both an MRI and a CT scan when only one such test [the MRI] is needed. Instead of one test, we have an MRI, a CT, and a specialist visit.
I would ask the minister: Why is she operating such a wasteful, inefficient system, instead of making sure that people can get the tests that they need right away so that we can have good health care, instead of delayed health care?

Ms. Oswald: [After some blather, the Minister responds] "it sounds to me like he is blaming doctors for irresponsibly ordering tests. I find that very strange." [The Minister is totally off base here. The problem is in the health care system she is responsible for. Doctors will always do what is the in best interests of their patients. The system needs to change so that tests can be done quickly and efficiently and then there will not be any need for this ordering of multiple tests and procedures because the one that is really needed is not available quickly.]