Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) says it is working on a solution to address surgical backlogs at McMaster Children’s Hospital (MCH).

There are currently 1,396 pediatric and 6,053 adults waiting for surgery at HHS. It says the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the backlog situation.

HHS says with funding of $450,000 through the province’s Surgical Innovation Fund, it has developed a plan to tackle the wait times for certain spine, knee and eye day surgeries.

Starting in the fall, some adult day surgeries currently performed at Hamilton General Hospital and MCH will move to West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (WLMH) in Grimsby. HHS says surgeons from the Hamilton hospitals will also move with their patients to perform the procedures.

“This innovative approach will support approximately 75 spine procedures per year, as well as 75 orthopedic scope procedures and about 60 eye-muscle surgeries,” says Dr. Ved Tandan, site chief of surgery at WLMH, in a statement. “It will achieve a number of hospital priorities, including helping to drive down the surgical backlog.”

HHS also says new equipment is starting to arrive at WLMH and staff training and education to support the surgeries will take place oer the summer.