|
Atlantic Canada Chronic Pain Sufferers Waiting Up To Five Years For Treatments |
|
|
|
Written by Wire Services
|
|
Wednesday, 23 November 2005 |
A grassroots advocacy group called Action Atlantic has released a survey of waiting lists for chromic pain treatment across Atlantic Canada.
The survey was conducted by a researcher during the month of October. All clinics and doctors specializing in the treatment of chronic pain were contacted. The survey found that more than 5,000 pain sufferers are currently waiting for treatment in Atlantic Canada. Waiting lists for new referral patients range from one week to more than five years. The average waiting times per province are as follows:
Newfoundland - 9 months
New Brunswick - 16 months
Nova Scotia - 22 months
Prince Edward Island - 2 years
The overall average waiting time in Atlantic Canada is almost a year and a
half.
"Pain patients are suffering. They can't get the help they need in a reasonable time and it very much depends on where they live in Atlantic Canada how long they will have to suffer before being seen. We need to work together to change the system so that everyone has access to proper care, when they it - no matter where they live," says Helen Tupper, President of the Canadian Pain Coalition, Action Atlantic member and chronic pain sufferer.
The worst waiting list in Atlantic Canada is at the QEII Pain Clinic in Halifax where new patients are forced to wait more than five years. And this waiting list is going to get even worse because another one of the clinic's pain specialists has recently announced she is leaving to move back to the United Kingdom. In fact, Action Atlantic has learned that the QEII Pain Clinic is now sending a letter to all doctors who request new, regular referrals, saying that they will not be able to see these patients, ever, without additional resources.
"The longer people wait to get treatment, the less chance there is that they will recover. Imagine finally finding a clinic that can help you and then being told to come back in five years or that they can't help you at all. This is cruel and unusual punishment. Decision makers need to recognize that chronic pain is a real and debilitating condition that takes a tremendous physical, emotional and financial toll on families and communities," says Mrs. Tupper.
Action Atlantic has launched a new website to try to help address the waiting list issue. The address is www.paincantwait.ca It has an interactive tool that helps people write a customized letter to their MLA or MHA, asking government to put more money and resources into treating chromic pain to help reduce waiting lists and improve care in Atlantic Canada.
The website is the first step in Action Atlantic's campaign. The group will also meet with politicians across the region, launch an ad campaign to raise public awareness about the impact of pain and create innovative projects for patients and healthcare providers.
Action Atlantic is a non-profit group of patients and healthcare providers working together to improve the treatment of chronic pain in the Atlantic region. The group includes members of the Canadian Pain Coalition, the Atlantic Pain Group and the HRM Chromic Pain Support Group.
It is estimated that 460,000 people in Atlantic Canada suffer from chronic pain. The associated costs of healthcare and lost productivity amount to almost $7.0 billion per year.
|
