OTTAWA -

Canada needs a timely expansion of medical wait-time targets, not political "gimmicks," in order to maintain momentum on what has been a partial success story, the president of the Canadian Medical Association said Thursday.

"The Wait Times Alliance is reporting that governments are on the right track when it comes to cutting waiting times," Dr. Colin McMillan told a lunch meeting, where he delivered the alliance's latest annual wait times report card.

"This should be a cause for both providers and patients to be optimistic about the future."

The report cites progress in a number of areas, including sight restoration, coronary bypass surgery, hip replacement and cancer radiation treatment, but notes there are still significant gaps and omissions.

"We must underscore the report card released today underscores both challenges and some failures," said McMillan.

"We must maintain progress and take the critical steps to create a pan-Canadian wait-time guarantee -- a wait-time guarantee that actually works for all patients."

Last month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper staged a splashy news conference where he announced a wait-times deal with the provinces under the eye-catching banner "The Taming of the Queue."

Many critics pointed out the announced deal was a significant climb-down from the Tory election promise to guarantee wait times in five key medical areas, and instead allowed provinces to choose just one procedure to guarantee by 2010.

Asked what he meant by "gimmicks," McMillan pointed to the Harper announcement and said it "has led to a certain amount of cynicism in the public discourse."

But in a later interview, the CMA president gave the Conservative measure qualified praise, saying that at least provinces have now agreed to the principle of guaranteeing timely access.

"It's important in principle but it's only one step, and a small one, then to get all five areas done in a timely fashion," said McMillan.

The wait-times report actually dates to the previous Liberal government and the 10-year, $40-billion agreement negotiated with the provinces in September 2004.

Under that deal, all jurisdictions promised to make "meaningful reductions in wait times" in five priority areas by March 31, 2007.

McMillan told the gathering that there are still no benchmarks for diagnostic imaging, and that cardiovascular targets are too narrowly focused on waits for bypass surgery.

The report card gave governments a D -- no progress -- in setting a timetable to actually achieve existing targets. The alliance wants such a timetable hammered out by the end of this year.

Moreover, the group believes the time has come to start expanding the range of medical services covered. Several new medical groups and associations are joining the Wait Times Alliance to help it establish maximum wait-time targets in emergency care, psychiatry, facial reconstruction surgery, anesthesia and gastroenterology.

"It is in no way a mission completed," McMillan said, "but a mission that is possible and in progress."