Orthopaedic Surgery in Newfoundland - Travelling Surgical Teams

The Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada has a low population density and many isolated towns which lack access to healthcare services. Waiting lists for common orthopaedic surgical procedures, particularly knee and hip arthroplasty were growing. The provincial government decided to act with some innovative solutions.

On November 9, 2022, the Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, announced two new initiatives to increase orthopaedic surgery capacity in the public hospitals in Carbonear and St. Anthony, two small hospitals which have general surgical services but no local orthopaedic service. Occasional day surgery orthopaedic procedures were performed in these hospitals but no major operations. 

The two hospitals will host new visiting orthopaedic surgical teams which will attend for one week each month and perform 160 joint replacement surgeries per year in Carbonear General Hospital and 140 in the Charles Curtis Memorial Hospital in St Antony. Bed capacity in both hospitals was increased to manage pre-operative admissions.

Recruitment and training of the required staff was commenced for the travelling orthopaedic teams based at Eastern Health in Newfoundland, lead by Dr. William Moores, Divisional Head of Orthopaedics.

It was reported on January 25th 2023 that the travelling orthopaedic team from Eastern Health had completed its first joint replacement surgery at the Charles S. Curtis Memorial Hospital in St. Anthony.

Additional Measures Taken To Address Orthopaedic Surgical Waiting Lists

The Provincial Government has also implemented a number of creative measures to help address the surgical backlog in the province:

• a partnership with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute to address the waitlist for cardiac surgery
• increased regional caps on cataract surgeries in non-hospital facilities
• hip and knee joint replacement surgeries on an outpatient basis for suitable candidates
• A task force of health care providers and stakeholders was also established in June of last year to tackle the current surgical backlog and provide meaningful solutions to help the province meet national benchmarks.

Jobs for Surgeons and Anaesthetists in Newfoundland, Canada

There is a shortage of surgeons and anaesthetists in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and other parts of Atlantic Canada and as an incentive attract physicians to work there, the Atlantic Immigration Program offers immediate permanent residency in Canada on the grounds that the physician work in the the four provinces which make up the Atlantic Region for 2 years as a minimum commitment.

Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces, is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are:

• Newfoundland and Labrador - Population 510,550
• Nova Scotia - Population 969,383
• New Brunswick - Population 775,610
• Prince Edward Island - Population 154,331

Candidates interested in working in Newfoundland Canada, the other provinces of Atlantic Canada are invited to register a CV and contact us to discuss opportunities. Advertised jobs can be viewed on line and applications made by uploading a CV which should be recent and compatible with the job requirements.



Information about obtaining a licence to practice medicine in Canada can be read in our article about professional registration in Canada. All physicians planning to work in Canada must pass the MCCQE 1 exam.