{
  "id": "surgery-waiting-list-weeks",
  "parent": "scheduled-surgery-wait",
  "category": "Health care access",
  "title": "People waiting for scheduled surgery, and surgeries done, Island Health",
  "geography": "Island Health, with Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals, compared with British Columbia",
  "scope": "region",
  "levels": [
    "Provincial (health authority)"
  ],
  "plain_question": "How many people were waiting for scheduled surgery at the end of the year, and how many surgeries were done during it?",
  "value": 19457,
  "display_value": "19,457",
  "unit": "people waiting on March 31, 2026 (58,424 surgeries done in 2025/26)",
  "period": "Fiscal year 2025/26 (list on March 31, 2026)",
  "period_start": "2025-04-01",
  "period_end": "2026-03-31",
  "comparison": {
    "previous_period": "Fiscal year 2024/25",
    "previous_value": 21225,
    "change_percent": -8.3
  },
  "completed": {
    "period": "2025/26",
    "value": 58424,
    "previous_period": "2024/25",
    "previous_value": 57646,
    "change_percent": 1.3
  },
  "weeks_of_surgeries": {
    "period": "2025/26",
    "value": 17.3,
    "previous_value": 19.1
  },
  "since_text": "21,225 waiting and 57,646 surgeries done in 2024/25. The list equals 17.3 weeks of surgeries (was 19.1); Royal Jubilee 14.2, Victoria General 22.0, B.C. 17.6",
  "trend": "improving",
  "trend_basis": "Island Health: 19,457 people waiting at year end, compared with 21,225 a year earlier (-8.3%), and 58,424 surgeries done in 2025/26 (57,646 in 2024/25). The list equals 17.3 weeks of surgeries, compared with 19.1 in 2024/25 (-9.6%). Royal Jubilee 14.2 weeks, Victoria General 22.0 weeks (was 16.0 in 2017/18), all of B.C. 17.6 weeks.",
  "direction_good": "down",
  "right_direction": "Fewer people waiting reads Better. The surgeries done are shown beside it. Neither is anyone's actual wait; see Weeks waiting for surgery for that.",
  "caveats": [
    "The headline is the number of people on the list on March 31, read from the Ministry's file, with the surgeries completed during the year beside it. Actual waits are on the Weeks waiting for surgery page.",
    "The weeks-of-surgeries line is calculated here: people waiting on March 31 divided by the surgeries completed during the fiscal year, times 52. It is the size of the list compared with a year of surgeries, not anyone's actual wait.",
    "All procedures are combined, from cataracts to cancer surgery, so a change in the mix of procedures can move it.",
    "The waiting count starts when the hospital receives the booking form from the surgeon. The earlier wait to see the specialist is not in this data.",
    "Island Health hospitals also treat people from outside Greater Victoria.",
    "The chart shows every fiscal year in the Ministry's annual file, from 2009/10. The Ministry restates the whole file to its current reporting requirements."
  ],
  "charts": [
    {
      "title": "Island Health: people waiting on March 31, and surgeries done in the year",
      "fmt": "int",
      "unit": "people",
      "lines": [
        {
          "name": "People waiting",
          "area": "island",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2009/10",
              "value": 13821
            },
            {
              "period": "2010/11",
              "value": 14478
            },
            {
              "period": "2011/12",
              "value": 14999
            },
            {
              "period": "2012/13",
              "value": 16009
            },
            {
              "period": "2013/14",
              "value": 18114
            },
            {
              "period": "2014/15",
              "value": 17388
            },
            {
              "period": "2015/16",
              "value": 19207
            },
            {
              "period": "2016/17",
              "value": 18861
            },
            {
              "period": "2017/18",
              "value": 18231
            },
            {
              "period": "2018/19",
              "value": 17039
            },
            {
              "period": "2019/20",
              "value": 19653
            },
            {
              "period": "2020/21",
              "value": 16233
            },
            {
              "period": "2021/22",
              "value": 17423
            },
            {
              "period": "2022/23",
              "value": 18182
            },
            {
              "period": "2023/24",
              "value": 21127
            },
            {
              "period": "2024/25",
              "value": 21225
            },
            {
              "period": "2025/26",
              "value": 19457
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "Surgeries done",
          "area": "island",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2009/10",
              "value": 43805
            },
            {
              "period": "2010/11",
              "value": 46268
            },
            {
              "period": "2011/12",
              "value": 46217
            },
            {
              "period": "2012/13",
              "value": 45467
            },
            {
              "period": "2013/14",
              "value": 44194
            },
            {
              "period": "2014/15",
              "value": 45708
            },
            {
              "period": "2015/16",
              "value": 45486
            },
            {
              "period": "2016/17",
              "value": 47265
            },
            {
              "period": "2017/18",
              "value": 47076
            },
            {
              "period": "2018/19",
              "value": 49715
            },
            {
              "period": "2019/20",
              "value": 49180
            },
            {
              "period": "2020/21",
              "value": 49102
            },
            {
              "period": "2021/22",
              "value": 53556
            },
            {
              "period": "2022/23",
              "value": 53550
            },
            {
              "period": "2023/24",
              "value": 54423
            },
            {
              "period": "2024/25",
              "value": 57646
            },
            {
              "period": "2025/26",
              "value": 58424
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Waiting list size, in weeks of surgeries (not anyone's actual wait)",
      "fmt": "dec1",
      "unit": "weeks",
      "lines": [
        {
          "name": "Island Health (all hospitals)",
          "area": "island",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2009/10",
              "value": 16.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2010/11",
              "value": 16.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2011/12",
              "value": 16.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2012/13",
              "value": 18.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2013/14",
              "value": 21.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2014/15",
              "value": 19.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2015/16",
              "value": 22.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2016/17",
              "value": 20.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2017/18",
              "value": 20.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2018/19",
              "value": 17.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2019/20",
              "value": 20.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2020/21",
              "value": 17.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2021/22",
              "value": 16.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2022/23",
              "value": 17.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2023/24",
              "value": 20.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2024/25",
              "value": 19.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2025/26",
              "value": 17.3
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "Royal Jubilee Hospital",
          "area": "island",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2009/10",
              "value": 17.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2010/11",
              "value": 19.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2011/12",
              "value": 18.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2012/13",
              "value": 20.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2013/14",
              "value": 23.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2014/15",
              "value": 24.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2015/16",
              "value": 24.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2016/17",
              "value": 23.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2017/18",
              "value": 19.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2018/19",
              "value": 17.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2019/20",
              "value": 19.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2020/21",
              "value": 16.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2021/22",
              "value": 15.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2022/23",
              "value": 16.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2023/24",
              "value": 18.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2024/25",
              "value": 14.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2025/26",
              "value": 14.2
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "Victoria General Hospital",
          "area": "island",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2009/10",
              "value": 16.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2010/11",
              "value": 18.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2011/12",
              "value": 20.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2012/13",
              "value": 18.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2013/14",
              "value": 21.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2014/15",
              "value": 19.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2015/16",
              "value": 19.2
            },
            {
              "period": "2016/17",
              "value": 17.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2017/18",
              "value": 16.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2018/19",
              "value": 15.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2019/20",
              "value": 20.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2020/21",
              "value": 17.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2021/22",
              "value": 19.3
            },
            {
              "period": "2022/23",
              "value": 20.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2023/24",
              "value": 23.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2024/25",
              "value": 21.8
            },
            {
              "period": "2025/26",
              "value": 22.0
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "All of B.C.",
          "area": "bc",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2009/10",
              "value": 17.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2010/11",
              "value": 17.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2011/12",
              "value": 16.9
            },
            {
              "period": "2012/13",
              "value": 16.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2013/14",
              "value": 17.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2014/15",
              "value": 17.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2015/16",
              "value": 18.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2016/17",
              "value": 19.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2017/18",
              "value": 19.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2018/19",
              "value": 18.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2019/20",
              "value": 19.6
            },
            {
              "period": "2020/21",
              "value": 18.5
            },
            {
              "period": "2021/22",
              "value": 18.4
            },
            {
              "period": "2022/23",
              "value": 17.7
            },
            {
              "period": "2023/24",
              "value": 18.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2024/25",
              "value": 17.1
            },
            {
              "period": "2025/26",
              "value": 17.6
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "calc": {
    "formula": "Weeks of surgeries on the list = people waiting at the end of the fiscal year ÷ surgeries completed in that year × 52.",
    "steps": [
      "Island Health (all hospitals), 2025/26: 19,457 ÷ 58,424 × 52 = 17.3 weeks.",
      "Royal Jubilee Hospital, 2025/26: 3,976 ÷ 14,532 × 52 = 14.2 weeks.",
      "Victoria General Hospital, 2025/26: 3,438 ÷ 8,131 × 52 = 22.0 weeks.",
      "All of B.C., 2025/26: 97,963 ÷ 289,315 × 52 = 17.6 weeks."
    ],
    "inputs": [
      {
        "name": "BC Surgical Wait Times, annual file (cases waiting and cases completed, all procedures)",
        "agency": "B.C. Ministry of Health",
        "url": "https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/7c1bf2a8-96bb-4ad5-888d-a90672eb306e/resource/6cd508eb-7e31-4c86-b070-dc698131fa9a/download/2009_2026-annual-surgical_wait_times.xlsx",
        "dataset_url": "https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-surgical-wait-times",
        "licence": {
          "name": "Open Government Licence - British Columbia",
          "url": "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=A519A56BC2BF44E4A008B33FCF527F61"
        },
        "period": "2009/10 to 2025/26",
        "data_published": "2026-08-12"
      },
      {
        "name": "Same file: B.C. total (all health authorities) for comparison",
        "agency": "B.C. Ministry of Health",
        "url": "https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/7c1bf2a8-96bb-4ad5-888d-a90672eb306e/resource/6cd508eb-7e31-4c86-b070-dc698131fa9a/download/2009_2026-annual-surgical_wait_times.xlsx",
        "dataset_url": "https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-surgical-wait-times",
        "licence": {
          "name": "Open Government Licence - British Columbia",
          "url": "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=A519A56BC2BF44E4A008B33FCF527F61"
        },
        "period": "2009/10 to 2025/26",
        "data_published": "2026-08-12"
      }
    ]
  },
  "refresh_frequency": "Annually (quarterly interim files during the year)",
  "source": {
    "name": "Calculated here from B.C. Ministry of Health data",
    "url": "https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/7c1bf2a8-96bb-4ad5-888d-a90672eb306e/resource/6cd508eb-7e31-4c86-b070-dc698131fa9a/download/2009_2026-annual-surgical_wait_times.xlsx",
    "dataset_url": "https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/bc-surgical-wait-times",
    "locator": "Same annual file: Island Health and B.C. rows, cases waiting and cases completed, 2025/26"
  },
  "licence": {
    "name": "Open Government Licence - British Columbia",
    "url": "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=A519A56BC2BF44E4A008B33FCF527F61"
  },
  "derived": true,
  "retrieved_at": "2026-11-12T04:08:17Z",
  "data_published": "2026-08-12",
  "series": [
    {
      "period": "2009/10",
      "value": 13821
    },
    {
      "period": "2010/11",
      "value": 14478
    },
    {
      "period": "2011/12",
      "value": 14999
    },
    {
      "period": "2012/13",
      "value": 16009
    },
    {
      "period": "2013/14",
      "value": 18114
    },
    {
      "period": "2014/15",
      "value": 17388
    },
    {
      "period": "2015/16",
      "value": 19207
    },
    {
      "period": "2016/17",
      "value": 18861
    },
    {
      "period": "2017/18",
      "value": 18231
    },
    {
      "period": "2018/19",
      "value": 17039
    },
    {
      "period": "2019/20",
      "value": 19653
    },
    {
      "period": "2020/21",
      "value": 16233
    },
    {
      "period": "2021/22",
      "value": 17423
    },
    {
      "period": "2022/23",
      "value": 18182
    },
    {
      "period": "2023/24",
      "value": 21127
    },
    {
      "period": "2024/25",
      "value": 21225
    },
    {
      "period": "2025/26",
      "value": 19457
    }
  ],
  "licence_type": "open",
  "source_tier": 1,
  "measure_kind": "service result",
  "better_measure": null,
  "status_rule": {
    "rule": "One rule for every measure: a change smaller than 5% of the earlier value, or smaller than the agency's own margin of error, is “About the same”; no change is calculated across a marked break in a series; homelessness estimates, prices, staffing and comparison pages are shown for context without a label.",
    "reason": "The change is 8.3% of the earlier value, at or above the 5% threshold.",
    "threshold_percent": 5.0
  },
  "changes": {
    "year": {
      "period": "Fiscal year 2024/25",
      "value": 21225,
      "text": "vs 2024/25: -8.3%"
    },
    "five_year": {
      "period": "2019/20",
      "years": 6,
      "value": 19653,
      "comparable": true,
      "text": "vs 2019/20: −1.0%"
    }
  },
  "direction": {
    "type": "outcome",
    "rule": "Outcome measures read Better, Worse or About the same; published government targets read Ahead of, On or Behind target; value-judgement measures read Rising, Falling or Steady in a neutral colour. A change smaller than the agency's own margin of error, or otherwise smaller than 5% of the earlier value, is About the same (or Steady). No change is calculated across a marked break in a series.",
    "key": "better",
    "label": "Better",
    "arrow": "▼",
    "rel": -8.3,
    "delta": null,
    "vs": "Fiscal year 2024/25",
    "cur": "Fiscal year 2025/26 (list on March 31, 2026)",
    "why": "The change is 8.3% of the earlier value, at or above the 5% threshold.",
    "change": "8.3%",
    "one_year": "−8.3%",
    "five": {
      "period": "2019/20",
      "comparable": true,
      "rel": -0.9973032107057446,
      "years": 6,
      "base_2019": true,
      "replaced": "2020/21",
      "text": "−1.0%"
    },
    "five_replaced": {
      "period": "2020/21",
      "text": "+19.9%"
    }
  },
  "benchmark": {
    "rung": 5,
    "rung_name": "No target found",
    "as_of": "2026-11-12",
    "items": [
      {
        "kind": "none",
        "label": "No target found",
        "text": "No target for this measure found in the Ministry of Health 2026/27 to 2028/29 Service Plan (February 2026), as of November 12, 2026. Who could set one: the Province of B.C. and Island Health.",
        "area": "British Columbia",
        "source": {
          "title": "Ministry of Health 2026/27 to 2028/29 Service Plan",
          "publisher": "Province of B.C.",
          "date": "February 2026",
          "url": "https://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2026/sp/pdf/ministry/hlth.pdf",
          "terms": "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/home/copyright",
          "refresh": "Yearly, with the provincial budget (February)",
          "licence": "Public document, not under an open licence. Quoted with attribution.",
          "checked": "2026-11-12",
          "key": "moh_sp"
        },
        "documents_checked": null
      },
      {
        "kind": "related",
        "label": "Related target",
        "text": "Related target, not drawn: the same plan aims for 70% of urgent surgeries to be done within four weeks in 2026/27, 72% in 2027/28 and 74% in 2028/29, for all of B.C. This page does not show that share.",
        "area": "British Columbia",
        "source": {
          "title": "Ministry of Health 2026/27 to 2028/29 Service Plan",
          "publisher": "Province of B.C.",
          "date": "February 2026",
          "url": "https://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2026/sp/pdf/ministry/hlth.pdf",
          "terms": "https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/home/copyright",
          "refresh": "Yearly, with the provincial budget (February)",
          "licence": "Public document, not under an open licence. Quoted with attribution.",
          "checked": "2026-11-12",
          "key": "moh_sp",
          "page": 10
        },
        "documents_checked": null
      },
      {
        "kind": "compare",
        "label": "Comparison, not a goal",
        "area": null,
        "source": null,
        "documents_checked": null,
        "text": "The Island Health (all hospitals) and All of B.C. lines are shown for comparison. They are not a goal."
      }
    ],
    "drawn": [],
    "rule": "Highest rung found is shown; the site never sets a target. Methods, Targets."
  },
  "benchmarks": [
    {
      "rung": 2,
      "kind": "related",
      "label": "Related target, not drawn: the same plan aims for 70% of urgent surgeries to be done within four weeks in 2026/27, 72% in 2027/28 and 74% in 2028/29, for all of B.C. This page does not show that share.",
      "short": null,
      "document": "moh_sp",
      "page": 10,
      "area": "British Columbia",
      "fit": "text_only",
      "same_area": false,
      "related_reason": "Different unit, definition, period or area; written under the chart, not drawn.",
      "document_url": "https://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2026/sp/pdf/ministry/hlth.pdf",
      "applies_here": false,
      "same_measure": false
    },
    {
      "rung": 4,
      "kind": "comparison",
      "label": "The Island Health (all hospitals) and All of B.C. lines are shown for comparison. They are not a goal.",
      "fit": "full",
      "drawn": true,
      "area": null,
      "applies_here": false,
      "same_measure": true
    }
  ],
  "highest_rung": 4,
  "no_target_found": {
    "documents_checked": [
      "moh_sp"
    ],
    "checked_on": "2026-11-12",
    "who_could_set": [
      "Province of B.C. and Island Health"
    ]
  },
  "decided_by": [
    {
      "body": "BC",
      "name": "Province of B.C.",
      "decides": "Sets provincial standards for health services and appoints Island Health’s board.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "haa3",
          "label": "Health Authorities Act, s. 3",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96180_01#section3"
        },
        {
          "key": "haa4",
          "label": "Health Authorities Act, s. 4",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96180_01#section4"
        }
      ],
      "last": null,
      "next": null
    },
    {
      "body": "IH",
      "name": "Island Health",
      "decides": "Plans and runs health services in the region: which services, which facilities and the programs that deliver them.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "haa5",
          "label": "Health Authorities Act, s. 5",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96180_01#section5"
        }
      ],
      "last": null,
      "next": null
    },
    {
      "body": "CAN",
      "name": "Government of Canada and Parliament",
      "decides": "Pays the Canada Health Transfer to the Province, on the conditions set in the Canada Health Act.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "fpfaa",
          "label": "Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act, Part V.1",
          "url": "https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-8/FullText.html"
        },
        {
          "key": "cha",
          "label": "Canada Health Act, s. 5 and 7",
          "url": "https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-6/FullText.html"
        }
      ],
      "last": null,
      "next": null
    }
  ],
  "main_decision_maker": "Province of B.C.",
  "label_1y": {
    "key": "better",
    "label": "Better"
  },
  "label_long": {
    "key": "same",
    "label": "About the same",
    "years": 6,
    "change": "−1.0%"
  },
  "target_line": {
    "form": 4,
    "text": "No target found",
    "target": null,
    "gap": null,
    "comparison": null,
    "applies_here": false,
    "note": null
  }
}