Expedited appointments

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Learn how the WCB helps primary practitioners find the earliest available appointment when workers need to see a specialist or have a diagnostic performed, how to arrange expedited specialist appointments and when to request expedited diagnostic and/or surgical appointments.

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The WCB’s approach to health care management is to facilitate the worker’s return to normal activity in a timely and medically safe manner. We help primary practitioners to find the earliest available appointment when our injured workers need to see a specialist, or to have a diagnostic performed. A primary practitioner is a doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, nurse practitioner or other care provider. Learn more about primary treatment.

Facilitating timely diagnosis

If the primary practitioner has concerns about the waiting times for a specialist or a diagnostic appointment, the WCB’s health care services department can seek out earlier appointments. We ask specialists and diagnostic clinics to give us appointments that are not being used by the general public. The appointments may be in the evening or on weekends or may involve travel to another city. We prefer to use Saskatchewan specialists and diagnostics. If we need to, we will use out-of-province services. We cover travel costs for injured workers.

Primary practitioners access specialist services by asking us for a list of specialists with early appointments – a direct referral can be made. Let the specialist know that the appointment is for a WCB injured worker. The primary practitioner may be asked to complete a requisition.

Expedited specialist appointments

To arrange expedited specialist appointments, the primary practitioner can:

  • Obtain a list of specialists with early appointment availabilities from the health care services unit and make the referral.
  • Ask the WCB’s health care services department to make the referral and notify the primary practitioner of the relevant details. However, WCB customers cannot displace the general population in obtaining these services.

Expedited diagnostic appointments

The WCB’s health care services department will arrange expedited diagnostic appointments (for MRIs or CAT scans, for example) after receiving a requisition from the primary practitioner. We encourage these requests from care providers as a way to identify needs and enhance the level of assistance to injured workers. Where possible, the services will be provided in Saskatchewan. However, WCB customers cannot displace the general population in obtaining these services.

Expedited surgical services

Some medical specialists are affiliated with the day surgery unit in Saskatoon. This unit provides surgical services to claimants and other patients not covered by Saskatchewan Health. This service helps reduce surgical wait times at other facilities.

For more information, contact us.