The Hamilton LHIN has some of the lowest scores in the province for getting cancer patients into surgery on time, a new report shows.

Health Quality Ontario's yearly Measuring Up report reveals that the Hamilton Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) – which includes Niagara, Haldimand and Brant – is below the provincial average for priority two, three and four cancer surgeries completed within the maximum recommended wait times in 2014-2015.

The Hamilton LHIN has the lowest scores in the province for priority three and four cancer patients, and the second lowest score in the province for priority two cancer patients, the report shows.

Health Quality Ontario President and CEO Dr. Joshua Tepper told CBC News that it's difficult to attribute a cause to the low numbers, but says his organization is hoping to "foster a conversation" about what can be done to improve conditions across the province.

"The purpose of this data isn't to point fingers or blame – it's to see where the opportunities for improvement are," Tepper said.

Provincial numbers better than local numbers

Cancer surgery wait times are measured on a four-tier scale, where one is the most urgent and four is the least urgent.

A level one represents immediate, life-threatening conditions like airway obstruction and hemorrhage. Those patients are usually operated on immediately, according to Cancer Care Ontario.

A level two diagnosis represents very aggressive tumours, like central nervous system cancer. According to the Health Quality Ontario report, the provincial average for meeting that benchmark is 78 per cent. The Hamilton LHIN comes in behind at 71 per cent.

A level three diagnosis represents patients with known or suspected invasive cancer that doesn't meet the level two our four diagnosis. The report says the provincial average for meeting that benchmark is 83 per cent. In the Hamilton LHIN it's 72 per cent.

The last level of diagnosis – a level four – represents cancers that are inactive or relatively benign. The report says the provincial average for meeting the benchmark is 95 per cent. In the Hamilton LHIN it's 87 per cent.

A bright spot in dour statistics

The report wasn't full of solely bad news for the Hamilton area. The local LHIN scored above the provincial average for people who reported having a primary care provider, and who could see that doctor on the same day or next day they were sick – something Tepper says "speaks to the strengths" of the local primary care system.

"That number is very excellent, and quite high," he said.

The report also showed that the Hamilton LHIN had the highest number of people over the age of 12 who reported smoking on a regular basis in the province.

adam.carter@cbc.ca