Weeks waiting for surgery
Area: Vancouver Island (Island Health) Fiscal year 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026) · Where this covers
7.1 weeks
Getting better
Was 7.9 weeks in 2024/25
Source: B.C. Ministry of Health, 2025/26 · Full source
What it measures
The typical (median) number of weeks between a scheduled surgery being booked and the operation, for surgeries completed in Island Health hospitals.
Why it matters
Long waits for hip, knee, cancer and other scheduled surgery mean months of pain, worry or time off work. It is one of the few hospital access measures published as open data for this region.
Over time
How we decided “getting better”
A lower number means people wait fewer weeks between a surgery being booked and taking place. 7.1 weeks in 2025/26 compared with 7.9 weeks in 2024/25 (-10.1%). Island Health 90th percentile: 31.4 weeks (was 32.6). The rules.
Source
- Period
- Fiscal year 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026)
- Updated by agency
- Annually (quarterly interim files during the year); latest release Aug 12, 2026
- Retrieved
- Nov 10, 2026, 11:52 PM B.C. time
Show the numbers as a table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 7.1 weeks |
| 2024/25 | 7.9 weeks |
| 2023/24 | 7.3 weeks |
| 2022/23 | 7 weeks |
| 2021/22 | 6 weeks |
| 2020/21 | 7 weeks |
| 2019/20 | 7.9 weeks |
| 2018/19 | 8 weeks |
| 2017/18 | 8.3 weeks |
Keep in mind
- This is scheduled (elective) surgery only. It is not emergency department wait time, which is not yet published as open data (see the Methods page).
- The wait is the median for surgeries that were completed in the year: half of those patients waited less, half waited more. People still waiting are not in this number; see the waiting count in the detail.
- Island Health covers the whole island and part of the mainland coast, not only Greater Victoria. Royal Jubilee and Victoria General figures are shown separately below.
- The Ministry restates this dataset when reporting requirements change, so past years can be revised.
By hospital
- Royal Jubilee Hospital: 5.9 weeks (Fiscal year 2025/26). 90% of people had surgery within 28.1 weeks; 3,976 people waiting at year end; 14,532 surgeries completed.
- Victoria General Hospital: 7 weeks (Fiscal year 2025/26). 90% of people had surgery within 35.1 weeks; 3,438 people waiting at year end; 8,131 surgeries completed.
Where this covers
Area: Vancouver Island (Island Health)
Island Health’s whole service area: Vancouver Island and surrounding communities, not only Greater Victoria.
Included
- All Island Health hospitals on Vancouver Island and in surrounding communities, from Greater Victoria to the North Island
- Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals are also shown separately on this page
Not included
- The Lower Mainland and the rest of B.C. (served by other health authorities)
Official definition
How the agency describes it: Island Health (all hospitals), with Royal Jubilee and Victoria General shown separately.
Connected to: Provincial (health authority). This is a label, not a judgement.