Toronto: Outsourcing surgeries and diagnostic imaging services to for-profit clinics has failed to reduce patient wait times, according to a new report released on Monday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
Andrew Longhurst, a senior researcher at the CCPA and author of the report, pointed out that prioritizing the private sector instead of expanding the capacity of the public healthcare system has actually led to increased wait times for several key tests and surgeries in Ontario.
Key Findings of the Study:
- Increased Wait Times: According to data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the median wait time increased for 8 out of 12 major procedures between 2017 and 2025.
- Cataract and MRI Procedures: The median wait time for cataract surgeries rose from 67 days in 2017 to 68 days in 2025. Wait times for MRI scans jumped from 35 days to 47 days—a 35 percent increase.
- Higher Costs: The report indicates that performing these surgeries at private clinics comes at a much higher cost compared to public hospitals. For instance, cataract surgeries performed at the Don Mills Surgical Unit cost more than double compared to public hospitals.
- Private Sector Spending: In 2024–25, approximately $674 million was allocated to Ontario’s private surgical and imaging sector—a 48 percent increase compared to 2017–18.
Government Response:
However, Lily Barnes, a spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones, pushed back, stating that the report’s findings are misleading. She emphasized that Ontario possesses one of the world’s best publicly funded healthcare systems and noted that hospital funding has seen substantial increases over the past three years.
The government claims that expanding services through community surgical centers has enabled over 32,000 additional cataract surgeries annually and provided faster access to MRI/CT scans for 1.2 million people. The spokesperson added that residents will continue to access these services for free using their OHIP card rather than a credit card.
The report recommends providing more funding to public hospitals and making full use of underutilized operating rooms, while urging the government to reconsider its privatization policies.
