Updated: Thu Jul. 09 2009 17:49:19
ctvedmonton.ca
CTV News has learned of more MRI cancellations elsewhere in the province. Patients in the Red Deer area could be next in line to feel the pressure of cutbacks.
The Red Deer Hospital will cut back by two MRI scans a day, according to the Alberta Health Sciences Association (HSAA).
On Wednesday, the Grey Nuns hospital was ordered to cut back MRI service effective immediately in a move to ease budget pressures.
The cutbacks will affect new cases only. Current patients who have MRIs booked will go ahead with their appointments. It is unknown how long the cutbacks will last.
"At the Grey Nuns for example they'd book from seven o'clock in the morning until ten-thirty at night and they are now cutting four appointments per day so that's two hours of testing," said Elisabeth Ballermann with HSAA.
The Misericordia Hospital has been ordered to cancel six weekends of MRI scans beginning in September. The Grey Nuns will also stop weekend MRI service in September, as well.
So far, there are no cuts to the number of MRIs at the University of Alberta and the Royal Alexandra but CTV News was told the wait times at the U of A are not meeting targets set by Alberta Health Services.
An MRI tech suggests part of the problem for the backlog is that MRI scans are being ordered way more frequently.
In an e-mail to CTV News Paddy wrote:
"As an MRI tech I know there are problems with the service. The solution however is not an unlimited number of slots for MRI exams. Currently 30 to 40 per cent of the exams we do are needless exams."
A referral by a specialist is no longer required for an MRI scan. Now, general practitioners can order a scan.
"To the point where people are doing MRI (scans) of fingers and other areas of the body that we never even imagined doing when I started this in the 80s," said MRI instructor at NAIT Ian Fleming.
CTV's calls to Alberta Health Services for a response on the cutbacks were not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.
With files from Laura Tupper
