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Manitoba Wait Time Information
UNDERSTANDING WAIT TIMES
Increased Demand for Health Care
Services
The options for care are becoming more complex. We have more health
services available today than ever before and greater demand for
these services.
Manitobans are more informed about their health and are actively
taking part in their health care.
Increased Number of Health Care Professionals
 For
every new technology we put in place in the province, we have to
make sure there are health care professionals available to use the
technology. Typical training programs can last many years.
Sometimes this means developing training programs to increase
the number of health care professionals in the province. In other
cases, this means attracting specialized professionals to come and
work in Manitoba.
Waiting as Part of Your Care
 “Waiting
for care is part and parcel of the normal functioning of any health
system.” - Canadian Medical Association, The Taming Of
The Queue: Toward A Cure for Health Care Wait Times
Sometimes waiting is part of your health care. Your provider may
want to wait to see if your condition improves with time or to determine
if a different kind of test or treatment might be best for you.
Sometimes you have to wait to become as healthy as you can be before
having a surgery or test. The healthier you are before you have
a treatment, the more likely you will be healthy after a treatment.
In other cases, waiting for your treatment could be caused by a
combination of factors, such as increased demand for health care
services, limited health care resources (such as specialists and
specialized machines), and inefficient use of existing resources.
Manitoba Health is working with its partners to reduce wait times.
Making the Most of Health Care Resources
We all have a responsibility to use our health care resources as
efficiently as possible.
 Missed
Health Care Appointments
Studies have shown that more than 30 per cent of patients don’t show up
for their tests and services. If you can’t make your appointment,
call and let the facility know. If you cancel your appointment,
another person can get in sooner.
Demand for Tests and Technology
 Health
care professionals want the best treatment possible for their patients
– but that doesn’t always mean the most expensive test
or using the most expensive technology.
Sometimes it is most appropriate for patients to have a more common
test or treatment that is better suited to diagnose and treat the
symptoms they have. This might mean having an X-ray taken instead
of going for an MRI, or having an ultrasound test instead of a CT
scan. Your health care provider will decide which is best
for you.
If you are waiting for a test or treatment that you don’t
want to have, if you are waiting on multiple lists, or if you don’t
need a test or treatment any more, make sure you take yourself off
the list by contacting your health care provider, the facility or
the appropriate wait list coordinator. Every person who is removed
from a wait list places the next person one step closer to getting
care.
 Get
Healthy!
The best way to use health care resources as efficiently as possible
is to be as healthy as possible. By eating right, exercising, not
smoking and preventing illness, you can reduce your chances of getting
diseases like diabetes and of needing services like hip replacements.
For more information on how you can get healthy, visit the Manitoba
Healthy Living website.
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