❓ The Minister for Health reports on the progress of a $10 million program to reduce hospital waiting lists for children, particularly those waiting over 500 days, following a government promise made in December. Significant progress has been made, but more work is needed.
AnsweredQoN 186Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
In December last year the Government promised to give priority to all children who had been on hospital waiting lists for 500 days or more. Can the minister please report to the House any progress in this matter? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for that question. As he has rightly pointed out, because of the concerns the Government had about waiting lists for surgery in this State, last December the Premier announced a $10 million program in which every patient who had been waiting for longer than 500 days would be offered their surgery by 30 June this year. In particular, he had regard for children and said that any children who fitted into that category would be offered their surgery before Easter. Today is Holy Thursday and it is appropriate I report to the House on that promise. It was originally estimated that 140 children fitted into this category but an immediate audit conducted by the Department of Health revealed that there were 85. Of those 85, 27 have accepted the offer of surgery. They are overwhelmingly in the category of ear, nose and throat surgery. Of the remainder, some were not ready for surgery generally because of other disabilities, some no longer required their treatment and some, despite repeated efforts, could not be contacted. The audit showed a further 263 children had been waiting longer than clinically desirable but fewer than 500 days. I am very happy to report to the House that 205 of those children have been offered their surgery. The remaining 58 will be given priority and offered surgery before 30 June. Today, I am able to report significant progress in reducing the wait list and the wait times for children needing surgery. In the past three months all 85 children waiting longer than 500 days have been offered their surgery as promised. The 85 children waiting longer than 500 days as at 30 November 2003 has been reduced to 25. The 263 children waiting longer than clinically desirable has been reduced to 179. Although much more needs to be done, more children are being accepted for their surgery and the lists are reducing.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for that question. As he has rightly pointed out, because of the concerns the Government had about waiting lists for surgery in this State, last December the Premier announced a $10 million program in which every patient who had been waiting for longer than 500 days would be offered their surgery by 30 June this year. In particular, he had regard for children and said that any children who fitted into that category would be offered their surgery before Easter. Today is Holy Thursday and it is appropriate I report to the House on that promise. It was originally estimated that 140 children fitted into this category but an immediate audit conducted by the Department of Health revealed that there were 85. Of those 85, 27 have accepted the offer of surgery. They are overwhelmingly in the category of ear, nose and throat surgery. Of the remainder, some were not ready for surgery generally because of other disabilities, some no longer required their treatment and some, despite repeated efforts, could not be contacted. The audit showed a further 263 children had been waiting longer than clinically desirable but fewer than 500 days. I am very happy to report to the House that 205 of those children have been offered their surgery. The remaining 58 will be given priority and offered surgery before 30 June. Today, I am able to report significant progress in reducing the wait list and the wait times for children needing surgery. In the past three months all 85 children waiting longer than 500 days have been offered their surgery as promised. The 85 children waiting longer than 500 days as at 30 November 2003 has been reduced to 25. The 263 children waiting longer than clinically desirable has been reduced to 179. Although much more needs to be done, more children are being accepted for their surgery and the lists are reducing.
I thank the member for that question. As he has rightly pointed out, because of the concerns the Government had about waiting lists for surgery in this State, last December the Premier announced a $10 million program in which every patient who had been waiting for longer than 500 days would be offered their surgery by 30 June this year. In particular, he had regard for children and said that any children who fitted into that category would be offered their surgery before Easter. Today is Holy Thursday and it is appropriate I report to the House on that promise. It was originally estimated that 140 children fitted into this category but an immediate audit conducted by the Department of Health revealed that there were 85. Of those 85, 27 have accepted the offer of surgery. They are overwhelmingly in the category of ear, nose and throat surgery. Of the remainder, some were not ready for surgery generally because of other disabilities, some no longer required their treatment and some, despite repeated efforts, could not be contacted. The audit showed a further 263 children had been waiting longer than clinically desirable but fewer than 500 days. I am very happy to report to the House that 205 of those children have been offered their surgery. The remaining 58 will be given priority and offered surgery before 30 June. Today, I am able to report significant progress in reducing the wait list and the wait times for children needing surgery. In the past three months all 85 children waiting longer than 500 days have been offered their surgery as promised. The 85 children waiting longer than 500 days as at 30 November 2003 has been reduced to 25. The 263 children waiting longer than clinically desirable has been reduced to 179. Although much more needs to be done, more children are being accepted for their surgery and the lists are reducing.
The audit showed a further 263 children had been waiting longer than clinically desirable but fewer than 500 days. I am very happy to report to the House that 205 of those children have been offered their surgery. The remaining 58 will be given priority and offered surgery before 30 June. Today, I am able to report significant progress in reducing the wait list and the wait times for children needing surgery. In the past three months all 85 children waiting longer than 500 days have been offered their surgery as promised. The 85 children waiting longer than 500 days as at 30 November 2003 has been reduced to 25. The 263 children waiting longer than clinically desirable has been reduced to 179. Although much more needs to be done, more children are being accepted for their surgery and the lists are reducing.
In the past three months all 85 children waiting longer than 500 days have been offered their surgery as promised. The 85 children waiting longer than 500 days as at 30 November 2003 has been reduced to 25. The 263 children waiting longer than clinically desirable has been reduced to 179. Although much more needs to be done, more children are being accepted for their surgery and the lists are reducing.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for that question. As he has rightly pointed out, because of the concerns the Government had about waiting lists for surgery in this State, last December the Premier announced a $10 million program in which every patient who had been waiting for longer than 500 days would be offered their surgery by 30 June this year. In particular, he had regard for children and said that any children who fitted into that category would be offered their surgery before Easter. Today is Holy Thursday and it is appropriate I report to the House on that promise. It was originally estimated that 140 children fitted into this category but an immediate audit conducted by the Department of Health revealed that there were 85. Of those 85, 27 have accepted the offer of surgery. They are overwhelmingly in the category of ear, nose and throat surgery. Of the remainder, some were not ready for surgery generally because of other disabilities, some no longer required their treatment and some, despite repeated efforts, could not be contacted. The audit showed a further 263 children had been waiting longer than clinically desirable but fewer than 500 days. I am very happy to report to the House that 205 of those children have been offered their surgery. The remaining 58 will be given priority and offered surgery before 30 June. Today, I am able to report significant progress in reducing the wait list and the wait times for children needing surgery. In the past three months all 85 children waiting longer than 500 days have been offered their surgery as promised. The 85 children waiting longer than 500 days as at 30 November 2003 has been reduced to 25. The 263 children waiting longer than clinically desirable has been reduced to 179. Although much more needs to be done, more children are being accepted for their surgery and the lists are reducing.
I thank the member for that question. As he has rightly pointed out, because of the concerns the Government had about waiting lists for surgery in this State, last December the Premier announced a $10 million program in which every patient who had been waiting for longer than 500 days would be offered their surgery by 30 June this year. In particular, he had regard for children and said that any children who fitted into that category would be offered their surgery before Easter. Today is Holy Thursday and it is appropriate I report to the House on that promise. It was originally estimated that 140 children fitted into this category but an immediate audit conducted by the Department of Health revealed that there were 85. Of those 85, 27 have accepted the offer of surgery. They are overwhelmingly in the category of ear, nose and throat surgery. Of the remainder, some were not ready for surgery generally because of other disabilities, some no longer required their treatment and some, despite repeated efforts, could not be contacted. The audit showed a further 263 children had been waiting longer than clinically desirable but fewer than 500 days. I am very happy to report to the House that 205 of those children have been offered their surgery. The remaining 58 will be given priority and offered surgery before 30 June. Today, I am able to report significant progress in reducing the wait list and the wait times for children needing surgery. In the past three months all 85 children waiting longer than 500 days have been offered their surgery as promised. The 85 children waiting longer than 500 days as at 30 November 2003 has been reduced to 25. The 263 children waiting longer than clinically desirable has been reduced to 179. Although much more needs to be done, more children are being accepted for their surgery and the lists are reducing.
The audit showed a further 263 children had been waiting longer than clinically desirable but fewer than 500 days. I am very happy to report to the House that 205 of those children have been offered their surgery. The remaining 58 will be given priority and offered surgery before 30 June. Today, I am able to report significant progress in reducing the wait list and the wait times for children needing surgery. In the past three months all 85 children waiting longer than 500 days have been offered their surgery as promised. The 85 children waiting longer than 500 days as at 30 November 2003 has been reduced to 25. The 263 children waiting longer than clinically desirable has been reduced to 179. Although much more needs to be done, more children are being accepted for their surgery and the lists are reducing.
In the past three months all 85 children waiting longer than 500 days have been offered their surgery as promised. The 85 children waiting longer than 500 days as at 30 November 2003 has been reduced to 25. The 263 children waiting longer than clinically desirable has been reduced to 179. Although much more needs to be done, more children are being accepted for their surgery and the lists are reducing.
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