Health authorities on Prince Edward Island have struck a new arrangement with a private Summerside clinic so Islanders can receive publicly funded magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans without leaving the province.
Addressing long waits and travel
The deal, announced this week, means the Summerside Diagnostic Imaging Centre will begin performing publicly funded MRIs starting this month. Until now, most Islanders requiring MRI scans have had to travel to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown or off‑Island to Moncton.
Health P.E.I. statistics show wait times have been well above provincial targets. For semi‑urgent MRI scans, most people waited up to 107 days against a target of 28 days. For non‑urgent scans, waits stretched to 730 days, while the target is 84 days.
| Category | Typical wait | Provincial target |
|---|---|---|
| Semi‑urgent | 107 days | 28 days |
| Non‑urgent | 730 days | 84 days |
The Summerside clinic’s owner, Dr. Guy Boswall, said the facility typically sees about three to four MRI patients per day and that publicly funded volumes are expected to increase under the new agreement.
“We hope, with that, we can make a significant contribution to the wait time for MRIs in P.E.I.,” Dr. Guy Boswall said.
Who will be eligible and what to expect
Under the arrangement, Islanders must have a referral from a specialist to have an MRI covered at the Summerside facility. The first publicly funded scans are scheduled to begin this month, officials said.
Dr. Boswall noted the clinic has previously offered MRIs on a fee‑for‑service basis, typically serving a small number of patients each day. The provincial contribution will allow the clinic to accept referrals under public funding and help clear the backlog more quickly, he said.
- Where: Summerside Diagnostic Imaging Centre.
- When: Publicly funded scans to begin this month.
- Requirement: Referral from a specialist for a publicly funded exam.
- Current options: Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown or off‑Island to Moncton.
Local impact and limits
For Islanders who have faced long travel times, the Summerside option could reduce the burden of multiple trips and time away from work or family. It also has potential to ease pressure on Charlottetown hospital imaging services.
However, the clinic’s present daily capacity — historically three to four patients — underlines that scaling up will be necessary to achieve broad reductions in provincial wait lists. Health P.E.I. information indicates the backlog is substantial, particularly for non‑urgent scans, where waits extended into years for some patients.
Health officials and the clinic will need to coordinate scheduling, referrals and reporting to ensure continuity of care and that images and reports are available to specialists and family physicians without delay.
Context
Magnetic resonance imaging is a key diagnostic tool used to examine organs and soft tissues, including the brain and liver, and to detect tumours. Long waits for MRI can delay diagnosis and treatment planning for a range of conditions.
The provincial target wait times — 28 days for semi‑urgent and 84 days for non‑urgent scans — are intended to ensure timely diagnostic care. The current waits reported by Health P.E.I. show a gap between targets and patient experience that the Summerside partnership aims to narrow.
Officials say the new arrangement is one step among several measures to bring diagnostic wait times closer to target levels. Details around the number of publicly funded scans the clinic will perform daily under the agreement were not released.
Islanders with questions about referrals or scheduling are advised to contact their specialist or Health P.E.I. for information on how the Summerside option may affect their care pathway.
This report will be updated as officials provide further details on capacity, scheduling and expected timelines for reductions in provincial wait lists.
