You mentioned surgical wait times - the surgeons exist as do the operating rooms to handle the backlog of long suffering wait-listed patients.  The will does not exist to provide the funding to operate those ORs to capacity.  
I wish the funder would provide ample OR time for procedures that tend to work (hip replacement, knee replacement and bariatric surgery) and allow patients the right to roll 'dem bones on the private side for the more dubious procedures (non-restorative cosmetic procedures).  The wait lists exist because of cost containment.  It is a conscious and ruthless decision.