Access to surgical services in Prince Edward Island is improving significantly with wait times reduced and capacity expanded across the province.
Health PEI has completed 3,330 cataract surgeries since January 2025, which is nearly double from the same period in 2024. Also, this fiscal year (April-June), access to hip and knee surgeries has improved by 25 per cent over the same period last year.
“These improvements mean better access to care, closer to home for Islanders. We know the difference timely surgery makes in people’s lives, and we are delivering results by supporting frontline staff, recruiting specialists, and optimizing operating room capacity.”
— Minister of Health and Wellness, Mark McLane
Strategic staffing, procedural improvements, and investments in health care delivery are expected to enable an estimated 600 more Islanders to receive surgery this year. This is a 10 per cent increase in overall surgical volumes from fiscal year 2024 to 2025.
To improve access to surgical care quickly and effectively, Health PEI has changed where and how procedures are performed. Cataract surgeries have been transitioned to a community-based clinic, allowing hospitals to focus on more complex cases and urgent needs.
This approach helps relieve pressure on hospitals and frontline staff, while increasing overall system capacity to improve patient care. It is a practical solution that provides Islanders with faster access to care, especially while longer-term investments in infrastructure, recruitment, and system redesign are being implemented.
Health PEI has 38 surgeons practicing in the province now and one surgeon hired that is expected to start working in PEI in July 2026.
These successes align with PEI’s broader goals to improve health system performance and enhance access to quality care for all Islanders.
Media contacts:
Maureen Coulter
Senior Communications Officer
Department of Health and Wellness
maureencoulter@gov.pe.ca