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Surgery queues grow as funds trimmed BY NICK TOSCANO MASSIVE population growth led to a longer wait for elective surgery at Werribee Mercy Hospital last year, and the queue continues to grow. Health Department data reveals the median waiting time for general elective surgery swelled from 48-52 days last year to 60 days in the first quarter this year. A total of 743 patients were on the waiting list for elective surgery in March, up from 683 since January last year. But the outlook was brighter in other categories, with 92 per cent of semi-urgent patients treated within 90 days — well above the state average of 66 per cent and the government’s target of 80 per cent. All urgent elective surgery patients at Werribee Mercy and statewide were treated within the required 30 days. Mercy executive director Linda Mellors said the hospital was doing its best to spread funding to balance community needs. ‘‘Wyndham is one of Australia’s fastestgrowing regions, with more than 10 new households joining our community every day. ‘‘We’re funded on an activity-based model and we have spread that funding across the areas of
the hospital including emergency, maternity and surgical. ‘‘Health services are continuing to adapt to meet both current demand and plan for projected demand.’’ Altona Labor MP Jill Hennessy said the Baillieu government had trimmed $600 million from the state’s health budget. A new report compiled by Labor, Our Hospitals: Going Backwards, states 80 per cent of people who needed elective surgery received it under the previous government. It predicts that rate will drop by 5 per cent in the next round of health data. Ms Hennessy and the Australian Medical Association have urged the government to release details of 100 extra hospital beds it promised to deliver in 2011-12. AMA state president Stephen Parnis said elective waiting list blowouts reflected increasing demand and called on the government to provide extra resources.
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October 10, 2012 WEEKLY – YOUR COMMUNITY VOICE
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