It appears the pandemic backlog of diagnostic tests and surgeries in Manitoba has finally peaked and is very slowly starting to decrease.

That is according to Doctors Manitoba. It estimates the pandemic backlog is now at 166,903 cases, a decrease of 2,295 from last month's estimate. It says this is the first time in over a year that the backlog has decreased. Doctors Manitoba suggests the estimated decreases in the backlog were largely fueled by additional volumes in ultrasound, mammography and endoscopy.

The updated backlog estimate includes:

  • 55,728 surgeries (as of March 2022), an increase of 158 cases over last month's estimate.
  • 44,094 diagnostic imaging procedures (as of March 2022), down 2,095 cases over last month's estimate.
  • 67,081 other diagnostic testing procedures (as of April 2022), including allergy tests, endoscopies, mammograms, sleep disorder studies, and lung function tests, an improvement of 358 cases over last month's estimate.

Meanwhile, based on feedback from a variety of physician groups, Doctors Manitoba has identified five short-term actions to help speed up clearing the backlog in some areas:

  1. Cataract Surgery: Lift the annual cap on the number of cataract surgeries that can be performed each year at Misericordia Health Centre.
  2. Allergy Testing: Remove the limit on in-person appointments and return nurses to outpatient clinics so specialists can catch up and keep up on the backlog.
  3. Mammograms: Increase the volume to catch up on the backlog of breast cancer screening and bring wait times back to pre-pandemic levels.
  4. Complex Lung Function and Respiratory Tests: Remove the restrictions on these testing procedures so they can be offered at more clinics.
  5. Nurse/Technologist Shortages: A targeted human resource strategy is needed to recruit and retain more nurses and technologists, as the shortage of these skilled staff is the biggest barrier to clearing the backlog. Short- and medium-term actions include addressing high levels of burnout and low morale to retain existing staff, offering special incentives to those willing to take on more shifts rather than mandating overtime, maximizing the use of agency staff, and pursuing aggressive out-of-province recruitment.

"Doctors Manitoba continues to work with physicians to offer constructive advice to the province on how to tackle this massive backlog," explains Doctors Past-President Dr. Kristjan Thompson. "We appreciate the provincial government's significant financial commitment to address the backlog, and we hope that commitment can help to fund these concrete short-term actions to get patients the care they need."