Cancer patient says no one should have to wait longer for surgery because of summer staffing

A Nova Scotia man diagnosed with cancer in June wonders why he was initially told he would have to wait up to two months for urgent surgery.

Jason Bell, 48, of Waverley, N.S., learned he had a 5.5-centimetre tumour on his kidney June 23. He said a surgeon told him it would be a month or two before he could have it removed, in part due to summer scheduling.

"I was basically in a state of shock, really," Bell said.

After he left, he thought it couldn't be right.

Dr. Marcy Saxe-Braithwaite, who oversees surgical services for the Nova Scotia Health Authority, said the authority is in the process of changing the way it approaches time off for surgical staff. 

She said the 17 sites that provide surgeries in the province experience "slowdowns" during Christmas, March break and summer months when nurses and physicians take vacations.

But she said people shouldn't be worried their care will suffer during the summer months because patients are prioritized based on need. Seriously ill patients can go to the Halifax Infirmary, which is always staffed, Saxe-Braithwaite said.

"We really try to make sure the patients that need surgeries most urgently are not pushed back," she said. "Sometimes it just bumps our wait times and that's unfortunate, but we also want our surgeons and our nurses to be on their game if they need a break, too." 

New map that shows provincial staffing

The health authority has created a map that can show vacation times across the province, she said. Staff can use it see where specialists are working on a given week and refer patients there.

Bell said his surgeon put his name on an urgent wait list and he did hear back about an opening. He went in on Monday to have the tumour removed. 

But he said the province should do a better job of prioritizing times for surgery. He said no person with cancer should have to wait.

"Our system should be better than that … When it comes to things like cancer and heart problems, that is a serious concern and needs to be addressed," he said. 

'Scary process' of waiting

After his diagnosis, Bell said he emailed the health minister and the premier about his concerns but never heard back. 

He said a diagnosis like the one he received affects people's emotional and mental health.

"It's a scary process," Bell said. "It's absolutely terrifying to know you have something inside of you that can spread, that can grow, that can make you sicker, end your life.

"How many of the other people are being messed over by the system because they don't have the … attitude or the strength to say this isn't right."