Horizon Health Network claims it has reduced the wait list by 35 percent for patients waiting for hip or knee replacements.

The health authority said 115 additional orthopaedic surgeries have been performed over the last four months.

Horizon credits the improvement to an initiative in which some surgeries were on Saturdays, Sundays and after-hours with operating rooms running for 12 hours a day or longer.

As of this week, about 440 people were waiting over a year for new hips or knees compared to November when 681 people were on the list.

“We recognize there is still work to be done, but this data clearly shows how we are improving access to surgery at Horizon,” said Margaret Melanson, Horizon’s interim President and CEO.

“I am grateful for the staff and physicians that have made this possible and am optimistic that we are trending in the right direction.”

Horizon’s original target was to complete between 72 and 96 surgeries between the end of November and the end of March with each health region having their own target.

All four areas surpassed their targets:

• 40 additional surgeries were completed at Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital;
• 31 at The Moncton Hospital;
• 25 in Saint John (Regional Hospital or St. Joseph’s Hospital);
• 19 at Miramichi Regional Hospital.

Horizon said planning days and site visits are currently taking place across the four areas to plan for the next steps in improving access to surgical services.

“We plan to focus on all long-waiting surgeries between April and June and make adjustments by area on how to complete additional surgeries for other surgical services with long-waiting patients,” said Dr. Trish Bryden, Executive Clinical/Academic Department Head, Co-Leader of Surgical and Intensive Care.

“Expanding access to surgical services is a key priority for Horizon and we are proud of the work our staff are doing to help us achieve this.”