The Efficiency Gap: Private Clinic Push Fails to Curb Surgery Wait Times
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
A new study suggests the Ford government's shift toward private delivery is costing more while delivering longer waits for priority procedures.
For years, the provincial government has framed the expansion of private clinics as the primary mechanism to slash surgical backlogs. However, a new study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) suggests this strategy is failing its stress test.
According to reporting by CBC Toronto, wait times for most publicly funded priority surgeries and procedures increased between 2017 and 2025. The CCPA study found that eight of 12 priority procedures saw increases, including all cancer surgeries, cataract surgeries, and MRI scans. Specifically, median wait times for MRIs rose 34 per cent, climbing from 35 days in 2017 to 47 days in 2025. The data reveals an even sharper spike for the 90th percentile of patients, with MRI wait times increasing by 95 per cent and CT scans by 231 per cent.
**Opinion:** The gap between ministry rhetoric and patient reality is widening. While the government claims these efficiencies are working, the data suggests a system in decline.
This trend persists despite legislative efforts like the Your Health Act, which expanded private clinic delivery, and a $125-million commitment over two years for four clinics to perform hip and knee replacements. Andrew Longhurst, a senior researcher at the CCPA, noted that the policy direction is not achieving the government's claimed results.
Furthermore, the shift appears to be a fiscal drain. The CCPA study found that privately delivered knee procedures cost two to three times more than those in public hospitals, while cataract surgeries at the Don Mills Surgical Unit were more than twice as expensive. Liberal MPP and physician Adil Shamji noted that Ontarians are "paying more for poorer results."
Health Minister Sylvia Jones defended the model, stating that community diagnostic centres provide more access and faster services. Her spokesperson, Lily Barnes, told CBC Toronto that the report does not reflect reality and highlighted a $101 billion investment in the health-care system this year. Conversely, Michael Hurley, president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, has called for the cancellation of private clinic funding to prioritize public hospital infrastructure.