❓ The Minister for Health addresses a question regarding the success of government initiatives to reduce elective surgery waiting lists, highlighting a decrease in both the number of people waiting and the average waiting time.
AnsweredQoN 555Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
The Government has implemented a series of initiatives to reduce elective surgery waiting lists. Will the minister please inform the House whether the range of strategies has been successful? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. The Government is very pleased that the unacceptably high number of people waiting for elective surgery in Western Australia has fallen quite dramatically. The waiting list was at its peak under the Court Government. In July 1999, the waiting list for surgery in the public system in Western Australia, including the two privately managed public hospitals of Joondalup and Peel, had blown out to 21 548 people. In fact, no figures were kept for the Peel Health Campus at that time, so the figure would have been somewhat higher than that. As at 31 August this year, that number of 21 548 had reduced by more than 5 000 patients to 16 366 people, which included patients attending the privately managed hospitals of Joondalup and Peel. It is also pleasing that the average waiting time has fallen, with elective surgery patients now waiting on average 4.5 months compared with 4.83 months when the Government came to power. In other words, more people are getting their surgery and getting it sooner. The reduction in the waiting list is largely due to the Government’s initiatives in spending $18 million on targeting patients who have waited longer than clinically desirable for elective surgery. Last week we announced an additional $8 million towards reducing elective surgery waiting lists, targeting 2 050 patients who had been waiting for operations in the areas of greatest demand; that is, orthopaedic, ear, nose and throat, gynaecology and general surgery. Much of the surgery will be done at the two privately managed campuses at Joondalup and Peel, which are closer to where people live. Another very important aspect is that the number of beds opened specifically to cater for emergency admissions during the peak winter period will be kept open to cater for this increased level of activity in elective surgery, thereby providing a very sensible management of hospital resources. The initiative that we began at the beginning of this year, which was to offer surgery to 3 250 very long-wait patients, has been successful. In addition to that, yesterday we announced an additional $2.3 million to offer dental care to 6 500 patients requiring general dental treatment, which will halve the number of people on the wait list for dental treatment in this State. There will be further initiatives in the weeks ahead to offer surgery or medical procedures sooner to people who are reliant on the public health system.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for the question. The Government is very pleased that the unacceptably high number of people waiting for elective surgery in Western Australia has fallen quite dramatically. The waiting list was at its peak under the Court Government. In July 1999, the waiting list for surgery in the public system in Western Australia, including the two privately managed public hospitals of Joondalup and Peel, had blown out to 21 548 people. In fact, no figures were kept for the Peel Health Campus at that time, so the figure would have been somewhat higher than that. As at 31 August this year, that number of 21 548 had reduced by more than 5 000 patients to 16 366 people, which included patients attending the privately managed hospitals of Joondalup and Peel. It is also pleasing that the average waiting time has fallen, with elective surgery patients now waiting on average 4.5 months compared with 4.83 months when the Government came to power. In other words, more people are getting their surgery and getting it sooner. The reduction in the waiting list is largely due to the Government’s initiatives in spending $18 million on targeting patients who have waited longer than clinically desirable for elective surgery. Last week we announced an additional $8 million towards reducing elective surgery waiting lists, targeting 2 050 patients who had been waiting for operations in the areas of greatest demand; that is, orthopaedic, ear, nose and throat, gynaecology and general surgery. Much of the surgery will be done at the two privately managed campuses at Joondalup and Peel, which are closer to where people live. Another very important aspect is that the number of beds opened specifically to cater for emergency admissions during the peak winter period will be kept open to cater for this increased level of activity in elective surgery, thereby providing a very sensible management of hospital resources. The initiative that we began at the beginning of this year, which was to offer surgery to 3 250 very long-wait patients, has been successful. In addition to that, yesterday we announced an additional $2.3 million to offer dental care to 6 500 patients requiring general dental treatment, which will halve the number of people on the wait list for dental treatment in this State. There will be further initiatives in the weeks ahead to offer surgery or medical procedures sooner to people who are reliant on the public health system.
I thank the member for the question. The Government is very pleased that the unacceptably high number of people waiting for elective surgery in Western Australia has fallen quite dramatically. The waiting list was at its peak under the Court Government. In July 1999, the waiting list for surgery in the public system in Western Australia, including the two privately managed public hospitals of Joondalup and Peel, had blown out to 21 548 people. In fact, no figures were kept for the Peel Health Campus at that time, so the figure would have been somewhat higher than that. As at 31 August this year, that number of 21 548 had reduced by more than 5 000 patients to 16 366 people, which included patients attending the privately managed hospitals of Joondalup and Peel. It is also pleasing that the average waiting time has fallen, with elective surgery patients now waiting on average 4.5 months compared with 4.83 months when the Government came to power. In other words, more people are getting their surgery and getting it sooner. The reduction in the waiting list is largely due to the Government’s initiatives in spending $18 million on targeting patients who have waited longer than clinically desirable for elective surgery. Last week we announced an additional $8 million towards reducing elective surgery waiting lists, targeting 2 050 patients who had been waiting for operations in the areas of greatest demand; that is, orthopaedic, ear, nose and throat, gynaecology and general surgery. Much of the surgery will be done at the two privately managed campuses at Joondalup and Peel, which are closer to where people live. Another very important aspect is that the number of beds opened specifically to cater for emergency admissions during the peak winter period will be kept open to cater for this increased level of activity in elective surgery, thereby providing a very sensible management of hospital resources. The initiative that we began at the beginning of this year, which was to offer surgery to 3 250 very long-wait patients, has been successful. In addition to that, yesterday we announced an additional $2.3 million to offer dental care to 6 500 patients requiring general dental treatment, which will halve the number of people on the wait list for dental treatment in this State. There will be further initiatives in the weeks ahead to offer surgery or medical procedures sooner to people who are reliant on the public health system.
Another very important aspect is that the number of beds opened specifically to cater for emergency admissions during the peak winter period will be kept open to cater for this increased level of activity in elective surgery, thereby providing a very sensible management of hospital resources. The initiative that we began at the beginning of this year, which was to offer surgery to 3 250 very long-wait patients, has been successful. In addition to that, yesterday we announced an additional $2.3 million to offer dental care to 6 500 patients requiring general dental treatment, which will halve the number of people on the wait list for dental treatment in this State. There will be further initiatives in the weeks ahead to offer surgery or medical procedures sooner to people who are reliant on the public health system.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I thank the member for the question. The Government is very pleased that the unacceptably high number of people waiting for elective surgery in Western Australia has fallen quite dramatically. The waiting list was at its peak under the Court Government. In July 1999, the waiting list for surgery in the public system in Western Australia, including the two privately managed public hospitals of Joondalup and Peel, had blown out to 21 548 people. In fact, no figures were kept for the Peel Health Campus at that time, so the figure would have been somewhat higher than that. As at 31 August this year, that number of 21 548 had reduced by more than 5 000 patients to 16 366 people, which included patients attending the privately managed hospitals of Joondalup and Peel. It is also pleasing that the average waiting time has fallen, with elective surgery patients now waiting on average 4.5 months compared with 4.83 months when the Government came to power. In other words, more people are getting their surgery and getting it sooner. The reduction in the waiting list is largely due to the Government’s initiatives in spending $18 million on targeting patients who have waited longer than clinically desirable for elective surgery. Last week we announced an additional $8 million towards reducing elective surgery waiting lists, targeting 2 050 patients who had been waiting for operations in the areas of greatest demand; that is, orthopaedic, ear, nose and throat, gynaecology and general surgery. Much of the surgery will be done at the two privately managed campuses at Joondalup and Peel, which are closer to where people live. Another very important aspect is that the number of beds opened specifically to cater for emergency admissions during the peak winter period will be kept open to cater for this increased level of activity in elective surgery, thereby providing a very sensible management of hospital resources. The initiative that we began at the beginning of this year, which was to offer surgery to 3 250 very long-wait patients, has been successful. In addition to that, yesterday we announced an additional $2.3 million to offer dental care to 6 500 patients requiring general dental treatment, which will halve the number of people on the wait list for dental treatment in this State. There will be further initiatives in the weeks ahead to offer surgery or medical procedures sooner to people who are reliant on the public health system.
I thank the member for the question. The Government is very pleased that the unacceptably high number of people waiting for elective surgery in Western Australia has fallen quite dramatically. The waiting list was at its peak under the Court Government. In July 1999, the waiting list for surgery in the public system in Western Australia, including the two privately managed public hospitals of Joondalup and Peel, had blown out to 21 548 people. In fact, no figures were kept for the Peel Health Campus at that time, so the figure would have been somewhat higher than that. As at 31 August this year, that number of 21 548 had reduced by more than 5 000 patients to 16 366 people, which included patients attending the privately managed hospitals of Joondalup and Peel. It is also pleasing that the average waiting time has fallen, with elective surgery patients now waiting on average 4.5 months compared with 4.83 months when the Government came to power. In other words, more people are getting their surgery and getting it sooner. The reduction in the waiting list is largely due to the Government’s initiatives in spending $18 million on targeting patients who have waited longer than clinically desirable for elective surgery. Last week we announced an additional $8 million towards reducing elective surgery waiting lists, targeting 2 050 patients who had been waiting for operations in the areas of greatest demand; that is, orthopaedic, ear, nose and throat, gynaecology and general surgery. Much of the surgery will be done at the two privately managed campuses at Joondalup and Peel, which are closer to where people live. Another very important aspect is that the number of beds opened specifically to cater for emergency admissions during the peak winter period will be kept open to cater for this increased level of activity in elective surgery, thereby providing a very sensible management of hospital resources. The initiative that we began at the beginning of this year, which was to offer surgery to 3 250 very long-wait patients, has been successful. In addition to that, yesterday we announced an additional $2.3 million to offer dental care to 6 500 patients requiring general dental treatment, which will halve the number of people on the wait list for dental treatment in this State. There will be further initiatives in the weeks ahead to offer surgery or medical procedures sooner to people who are reliant on the public health system.
Another very important aspect is that the number of beds opened specifically to cater for emergency admissions during the peak winter period will be kept open to cater for this increased level of activity in elective surgery, thereby providing a very sensible management of hospital resources. The initiative that we began at the beginning of this year, which was to offer surgery to 3 250 very long-wait patients, has been successful. In addition to that, yesterday we announced an additional $2.3 million to offer dental care to 6 500 patients requiring general dental treatment, which will halve the number of people on the wait list for dental treatment in this State. There will be further initiatives in the weeks ahead to offer surgery or medical procedures sooner to people who are reliant on the public health system.
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