Red Deer woman’s 31-month wait for MRI sparks fear and anger: ‘Really unreasonable’

If you’re looking for Linda Burns, one of the best places to start is in her garden.

The Red Deer woman can be found out there as long as the sun is shining — calling it her escape from dealing with physical pain every day.

“It’s what I love to do, I love to take care of my home,” Burns said.

Burns had spinal fusion surgery several years ago after a serious car accident and gets checked up annually.

Recently, she says she’s been dealing with “deferred pain” in her neck, which can even make a task like going to pick up groceries a challenge.

“The pain is excruciating,” she said. “It’s excruciating if I overdo it.”

Burns’ doctor believes there’s degeneration in the disks of her neck, but the only way to find out for sure is with a MRI.

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In early May, the requisition was sent off. At the time, Burns was hoping it would be sometime in the next 12 to 15 months.

“(My doctor) told me if I put my name on the short list, I could get in sooner — he said he had patients that got in anywhere from two weeks (after requisition), to two months, to waiting until their date.”

But even waiting until September of 2027 sounded OK with Burns compared to what she saw when she received a letter from Alberta Health Services this week.

View image in full screen The letter Linda Burns received earlier this week, stating her MRI appointment had been scheduled for December, 2028 — 31 months from now. Global News

It said her appointment at the Red Deer Regional Hospital was scheduled for 7:20 a.m. on Tuesday, December 19, 2028 —  31 months from now, which Burns said is “really unreasonable.”

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It also had her worried about what could happen to her neck between now and then.

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“Two and a half years? I could be paralyzed.”

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“A lot can happen,” Burns explained, “It’s affected my life. I’ve slowed down because, you know, I’m not 40 any more, but just even my day-to-day… putting on a jacket… it’s just very frustrating.”

As she deals with the possibility of waiting until the winter of 2028 to just get a look at her neck, she says she’s also watching the provincial government take steps toward privatizing the health care system.

“It’s frightening. It’s got me worried. It’s gotten my family worried, my friends worried, and I never thought I would be in this position,” Burns said.

Late last year, the provincial government tabled Bill 11, legislation that would allow some doctors to work in both the public and private health-care systems simultaneously.

1:57 Protesters fear ‘American-style’ two-tiered health care is coming to Canada

While some experts say it will speed up access to care, Burns believes she won’t be one of them and worries about feeling forced to pay out of pocket for a private test.

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“I’m a senior on a fixed income. It’s not cheap to get these things done, right?

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“Why am I having to put this money out (for private health care) when I’ve paid into the system my entire life and have to sacrifice just to see if I actually need surgery?”

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Health advocates say stories like Burns’ are becoming commonplace in Alberta because of the provincial push for a two-tier health care system.

“The provincial government is creating a system where those with the ability to pay get to skip the queue,” said Chris Gallaway, Friends of Medicare executive director.

“We regularly hear from people who are told it’ll be two (years) to get a MRI but if you pay, you could get it in the next couple weeks.”

At private facilities like MIC medical imaging, a MRI is listed as costing $850 but when contrast is needed, the price goes up to $1,000.

Like Burns, Gallaway believes the province’s action is in the wrong place.

“What we really need, and we’ve needed it for a long time, is a workforce plan for health care in Alberta that includes diagnostics.” Gallaway said.

“(The plan) needs to look at what we need in our hospitals, in our community, to get their diagnostics done so people can get the care they need.”

Story continues below advertisement 2:07 Doctors warn self-referral testing plan could strain Alberta’s health system

Global News reached out to both the Ministry of Hospitals and Surgical Services and Acute Care Alberta, but as of publishing had not received a response.

Burns says she’s fairly certain surgery is in her future — but given the wait for just the MRI, she believes that could be five or six years away.

Until then, what will she do?

“Make some noise because that’s the only way we’re going to be heard,” she said.

“You can’t just be a fly on the wall and watch the show. You’ve got to speak up.”

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–with files from Kabi Moulitharan, Global news