❓ Ms. Mettam's question regarding cancelled elective surgeries in WA public hospitals between 2021-2022 and 2022-date is answered with data provided by area health service. The answer notes the impact of the Omicron wave on elective surgery scheduling.
AnsweredQoN 632Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to all public hospitals, including public hospitals with private operators, and I ask: (a) How many elective surgeries were cancelled in each month between: (i) 2021-2022; and (ii) 2022-date; and (b) For each month listed in (a) (i) and (ii), what was the total number of cancelled elective surgeries by area health service?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 March 2023
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
8 days
(a) – (b) Please refer to Attachment 1.
Elective surgeries are cancelled for both patient-initiated reasons and hospital-initiated reasons. Patient safety is the priority and surgeries are often rescheduled within a matter of days. This data includes WA public hospitals only, and not data from Contracted Health Entities.
In 2022, WA public and private hospitals scaled down elective surgeries to help alleviate system pressure as the number of Omicron COVID-19 cases increased within the State.
This was a considered and planned approach made in advance to avoid having to make snap-decisions to cancel surgery on short notice – as was experienced in other States. During the scale down, there was no change to Category 1 bookings and those surgeries continued.
The temporary pause on bookings for non-urgent Category 2 and 3 elective surgery was necessary to ensure we had capacity in our system to respond to an expected increase in COVID-19 patients.
Attachment 1.
Month-Year
CAHS
EMHS
NMHS
SMHS
WACHS
Total
Jul-21
168
639
453
243
549
2052
Aug-21
176
616
399
342
607
2140
Sep-21
176
737
482
222
493
2110
Oct-21
162
605
388
229
532
1916
Nov-21
149
595
365
239
626
1974
Dec-21
120
410
248
239
415
1432
Jan-22
124
406
236
215
585
1566
Feb-22
169
529
333
206
547
1784
Mar-22
186
487
380
192
921
2166
Apr-22
102
332
260
143
267
1104
May-22
181
686
455
288
544
2154
Jun-22
176
566
438
261
592
2033
Jul-22
195
664
438
274
556
2127
Aug-22
198
670
471
363
685
2387
Sep-22
182
552
381
310
604
2029
Oct-22
197
606
394
340
554
2091
Nov-22
197
737
445
438
661
2478
Elective surgeries are cancelled for both patient-initiated reasons and hospital-initiated reasons. Patient safety is the priority and surgeries are often rescheduled within a matter of days. This data includes WA public hospitals only, and not data from Contracted Health Entities.
In 2022, WA public and private hospitals scaled down elective surgeries to help alleviate system pressure as the number of Omicron COVID-19 cases increased within the State.
This was a considered and planned approach made in advance to avoid having to make snap-decisions to cancel surgery on short notice – as was experienced in other States. During the scale down, there was no change to Category 1 bookings and those surgeries continued.
The temporary pause on bookings for non-urgent Category 2 and 3 elective surgery was necessary to ensure we had capacity in our system to respond to an expected increase in COVID-19 patients.
Attachment 1.
Month-Year
CAHS
EMHS
NMHS
SMHS
WACHS
Total
Jul-21
168
639
453
243
549
2052
Aug-21
176
616
399
342
607
2140
Sep-21
176
737
482
222
493
2110
Oct-21
162
605
388
229
532
1916
Nov-21
149
595
365
239
626
1974
Dec-21
120
410
248
239
415
1432
Jan-22
124
406
236
215
585
1566
Feb-22
169
529
333
206
547
1784
Mar-22
186
487
380
192
921
2166
Apr-22
102
332
260
143
267
1104
May-22
181
686
455
288
544
2154
Jun-22
176
566
438
261
592
2033
Jul-22
195
664
438
274
556
2127
Aug-22
198
670
471
363
685
2387
Sep-22
182
552
381
310
604
2029
Oct-22
197
606
394
340
554
2091
Nov-22
197
737
445
438
661
2478
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