Ontario Cutting Down On Wait Times For Orthopedic Surgeries, Starting in 2026
The Ontario government is investing $125 million over two years to expand access to publicly funded orthopedic surgeries, starting in 2026.
This effort aims to add up to 20,000 more hip and knee replacement surgeries through community surgical and diagnostic centres across the province.
Source: Ontario Newsroom
Even though Ontario already boasts some of the shortest surgical wait times in Canada, demand continues to grow — especially for common procedures like hip and knee replacements. The new funding and expanded capacity will help ease the backlog and reduce wait times, giving people access to timely, high-quality care.
The province has committed that early next year (2026) it will be issuing licences to four new community surgical and diagnostic centres, for the purpose of performing orthopedic surgeries in Ontario. According to Newsroom Ontario, this expansion will ensure that 90 per cent of Ontario patients receive orthopedic care within clinically recommended timeframes, up from the current level of 80 per cent for hip and knee replacements and continuing the government’s goal to connect every patient to convenient care faster.
Three Things to Consider If You Are Undergoing an Orthopedic Surgery:
Read Our Step-by-Step Guide To Prepare For A Knee Replacement Surgery here.
Get Started Early: ask your Doctor for a referral to see an orthopedic surgeon if you are facing mobility challenged and chronic pain. If you live in the city of Toronto, wait times for planned orthopedic surgeries are still observed, commonly between nine to twelve months post your scheduled orthopedic surgeon consultation.
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P.S. next week we are releasing a new ‘Pain Management’ Category for clinics that can help support chronic pain or pre-surgery pain (while waiting on that waitlist) and post-surgery pain for smooth recovery management
