❓ Mr. Cook questions the Minister for Health regarding elective surgery wait times, particularly for category 1 patients, citing a significant increase in patients waiting longer than clinically recommended. The Minister defends the performance, highlighting an increase in overall surgeries and improved completion rates compared to the previous year.
AnsweredQoN 813Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELECTIVE SURGERY WAITLIST
813. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
I refer to the latest elective
surgery waitlist report, which shows that 20 per cent of category 1 patients
did not receive their operations within the clinically recommended time.
(1) Does the
minister think it is acceptable that one in five of our most urgent patients do
not receive treatment within the clinically recommended waiting time?
(2) Given that
just one year ago as few as 8.4 per cent of patients waited longer than the
clinically recommended time, and two years ago that figure was only 1.4 per
cent, does this not show that the minister has failed patients in relation to
their pain-relieving surgery?
813. Mr R.H. COOK to the Minister for
Health:
I refer to the latest elective
surgery waitlist report, which shows that 20 per cent of category 1 patients
did not receive their operations within the clinically recommended time.
(1) Does the
minister think it is acceptable that one in five of our most urgent patients do
not receive treatment within the clinically recommended waiting time?
(2) Given that
just one year ago as few as 8.4 per cent of patients waited longer than the
clinically recommended time, and two years ago that figure was only 1.4 per
cent, does this not show that the minister has failed patients in relation to
their pain-relieving surgery?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. The report that was published in the last
few days compares just one month—namely, July—with the
corresponding month last year. I think it is a mistake to simply draw long-term
conclusions from just a relatively short period. It is not a good indicator of
performance trends. In fact, the amount of elective surgery—including, obviously,
those people in category 1 cases—has increased substantially over the
last year. An increase of about 4 000 operations was provided. From January to
July 2015, 47 281 elective surgeries were undertaken and, in the comparative
period of the first seven months of this year, slightly more than 49 000
elective surgeries were undertaken. That is an increase during that period of
about four per cent, or 1 723 cases. It is also the case that the completion of
surgery within the clinically recommended time frames has improved on a year-on-year
comparative basis. To give more information, in the first seven months of last
year, 92.8 per cent of elective surgeries were performed within the recommended
time frames. In the corresponding period this year, that improved to 93.7 per cent.
As I said, I think it is important to look at trends and experiences over a longer
period. That shows that we have improved the situation this year compared with
last year and, in fact, we are right at the top of the best performing states
across Australia in completing elective surgeries within the recommended time
frames.
thank the member for the question. The report that was published in the last
few days compares just one month—namely, July—with the
corresponding month last year. I think it is a mistake to simply draw long-term
conclusions from just a relatively short period. It is not a good indicator of
performance trends. In fact, the amount of elective surgery—including, obviously,
those people in category 1 cases—has increased substantially over the
last year. An increase of about 4 000 operations was provided. From January to
July 2015, 47 281 elective surgeries were undertaken and, in the comparative
period of the first seven months of this year, slightly more than 49 000
elective surgeries were undertaken. That is an increase during that period of
about four per cent, or 1 723 cases. It is also the case that the completion of
surgery within the clinically recommended time frames has improved on a year-on-year
comparative basis. To give more information, in the first seven months of last
year, 92.8 per cent of elective surgeries were performed within the recommended
time frames. In the corresponding period this year, that improved to 93.7 per cent.
As I said, I think it is important to look at trends and experiences over a longer
period. That shows that we have improved the situation this year compared with
last year and, in fact, we are right at the top of the best performing states
across Australia in completing elective surgeries within the recommended time
frames.
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