Saskatchewan patients in need of surgery might notice shorter wait times following a renewed and expanded partnership between the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Surgical Centres Incorporated. 

The five-year contract has two one-year renewal options. The total cost for all seven years will cost about $177 million.

Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill says SCI’s privately owned centres in Saskatoon and Regina have been freeing up hospitals since 2012, and this renewed contract will aim to shorten wait times across the province, while also providing additional surgery options. SCI provides a wide variety of day surgeries including general surgeries, orthopedics, ophthalmology, reconstructive surgery, pediatric dental, vascular, and the new expansion will make gynecological and overnight-orthopedic options available, as well.  

In 2024-25, Saskatchewan’s surgical teams performed 100,400 surgeries, an all-time high. Of those, partners like Surgical Centres Inc. completed over 16,700 publicly funded surgeries accounting for approximately 18 per cent of all core procedures in 2024-25. Cockrill says during the same time frame, 92 per cent of patients were offered surgeries within eight months of requesting it. He hopes to get that to 90 per cent in six months in the years ahead.

With help from SCI, the Saskatchewan Health Authority has set a goal of completing 450,000 surgeries by the end of 2028, which Cockrill admits is a somewhat lofty target. 

“We need to be ambitious. We need to be innovative. I don’t want the wait times just to stay where they’re at. They need to get better for Saskatchewan patients.”

Meanwhile, the SHA is also working to fill nearly 1000 full-time equivalent positions between Saskatoon City Hospital and Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert. 

An ongoing 109-bed expansion at City Hospital, and construction of a new tower at Victoria Hospital, have prompted the need for over 500 additional staff at each facility. So far, over 140 staff have been hired on for the City Hospital expansion.

 Cockrill says recruiting is already underway, and future graduates will make up for a significant portion of the hires.  

“As the training seats have started, once we get to a time when the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital renovation is open…you’re going to see those first classes of graduated come out of those programs, and that’s a big part of our staffing plan for those facilities.”

So far, 20 of the 109 beds have opened at City Hospital, with another milestone to be announced later in the week.