Island Health to perform thousands more surgeries per year after buying two private clinics

Island Health says thousands of additional surgeries and endoscopies will be able to take place per year on Vancouver Island as the health authority buys two private surgical centres.

Island Health is taking over the leases and purchasing the surgical equipment at View Royal Surgical Centre (VRSC) in Victoria and Seafield Surgical Centre (SSC) in Nanaimo.

The health authority is buying the two sites for $11.5 million, and Island Health estimates that it will be able to perform 2,300 more surgeries and 2,300 more endoscopies per year because of the deal.

Currently, the two surgical centres perform low-complexity procedures that require a hospital stay of less than 24 hours.

Island Health says it will expand the use of "unused and underutilized capacity" at the two facilities, and that it will begin offering a broader range of surgical services at the sites once the transition is complete.

The facilities will transfer to Island Health ownership from their current operator, Surgical Centres Inc., in a phased approach.

Island Health says the transition should be seamless for patients and health-care providers.

"We have been pleased to fulfil our mission to increase surgical access and reduce waiting times with Island Health," said Dr. Mohamed Nanji, CEO of Surgical Centres Inc.

"The health-care teams and legacies we’ve created at our Victoria and Nanaimo facilities will serve Island Health for years to come," he said.

The province adds that it's still committed to catching up on surgeries that were delayed due to the pandemic.