Dermatology is the champion specialty for waiting lists in Quebec. More than 104,000 Quebecers are languishing in limbo for a consultation with a dermatologist, more than half of whom are out of time.
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This is what emerges from data published on Tuesday by the government on waiting lists for specialized medicine. They show where the 831,000 Quebecers hang around the most to see a medical specialist, according to the Service Request Dispatch Center (CRDS).
“We do not want to put our finger on one specialty or another, but we have more specific issues, either in certain regions or in certain specialties,” commented Health Minister Christian Dubé on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, waiting lists highlight several problems.
Dermatology, cancer specialty
Unsurprisingly, dermatology is a dunce in the new data published by Quebec. The endless wait to see one of these specialists has long been decried by patients unable to get an appointment.
Worryingly, six out of 10 patients waiting in dermatology in Quebec have also exceeded the deadlines.
Dermatology is also in the lead in several regions, such as Outaouais, Laval, Laurentides, Lanaudière and Mauricie.
“Yes, the figures look staggering, but we know that at least 30% of patients have already been seen or do not need to be seen,” says Dr Rafik Ghali, director of professional affairs at the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec (FMSQ), noting that the ministry has launched a platform to sort through waiting lists.
He also ensures that aesthetics is only 10% of the practice of doctors who do it. The Association of Specialist Dermatologists of Quebec did not call back Le Journal.
Delays vary from one patient to another, depending on the priority rating at the CRDS. Five different ratings are possible, ranging from three days or less to 12 months or less.
Almost never met deadlines
Physiatry and gastroenterology are two specialties where the number of patients waiting have mostly exceeded the deadlines prescribed by the government.
Of the approximately 31,000 patients waiting to see a physiatrist, more than 25,000 are out of time, or more than 82%.
Almost all of these patients end up in Montreal, where physiatry is the specialty at the top of the waiting lists with nearly 20,000 people.
To see a gastroenterologist, more than 38,000 Quebecers hang around beyond the prescribed deadlines out of the 52,000 waiting, or nearly 73%.
According to the FMSQ, the extreme slowness is due to the lack of specialists in the province.
Montérégie residents are particularly underserved by several specialties, new data reveals.
Patients in this region account for around a quarter of those waiting in immunology (19,268) or gynecology (16,832). One in five patients who hope to see a dermatologist is also in Montérégie (20,201).
“The distribution of medical staff is up to the ministry,” argues Dr. Ghali of the FMSQ.
Allergies far from being treated
Unsurprisingly for many Quebec parents, immunology is the second specialty where the expectation is the greatest.
This specialty includes allergists, few in number and in great demand for children with allergies. The long delays are particularly marked in the Quebec region, where more than 17,000 people are waiting to see one of these specialists.
The new data made public by Quebec does not, however, specify the waiting time for patients.
