Cataract Outpatient Clinic in Charlottetown nearly doubles PEI’s daily cataract procedures, frees up valuable operating room time

In the first three months working with the Cataract Outpatient Clinic in Charlottetown, Health PEI has nearly doubled the daily number of cataract surgeries performed on PEI. The clinic has helped streamline care and puts PEI on a path to meeting national benchmarks for wait times.

Between December 1 and March 1, the clinic performed 1140 cataract surgeries, bringing the total on the Island over that period to 1245—nearly double the number of surgeries the same period last year (682).

“The Cataract Outpatient Clinic is an important step for Islanders in need of vision care, significantly reducing wait times and providing timely care,” said Minister of Health and Wellness, Mark McLane. “This initiative addresses the increasing demand for cataract surgeries, which has become a pressing issue for many Island residents.”

Health PEI is also working on its data processing to help better track wait times. This will help reduce delays for patients even further. Health PEI will report the updated wait times once the new data is compiled and refined.

Use of the new clinic has also freed up valuable operating room time at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

“With the volume of surgeries being done at the clinic, we’ve been able to optimize the operating-room schedule for all types of surgery, including cataract,” said Melanie Fraser, CEO of Health PEI. “That means more patients are receiving the care they need sooner, and it’s helping cut wait times for other procedures.”

The Cataract Outpatient Clinic is expected to treat up to up to 3600 patients in the 2025/2026 fiscal year, which will significantly reduce the number of patients awaiting surgery.

“It has been great to see the cataract wait times reduce for Islanders over the past few months,” said Dr. Guy Boswall, an ophthalmologist at the clinic. “The PEI Vision Surgical Centre has proven to be a patient friendly and efficient facility.”

Islanders now have improved access to the care they need with improved wait times and better outcomes. This is big step forward in Health PEI's ongoing efforts to improve health care services across Prince Edward Island.


Media contact:

Dave Atkinson
Senior Communications Officer
Health PEI
datkinson@ihis.org

Morgan Martin
Senior Communications Officer
Department of Health & Wellness
mxmartin@gov.pe.ca