The question concerns the potential impact of a Medibank levy exemption on elective surgery waiting lists for seniors and the disadvantaged. The Minister acknowledges the challenge and outlines measures to increase capacity, including utilising commonwealth funding and addressing resource constraints.

AnsweredQoN 262Legislative Assembly
Asked
15 May 2008
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

MEDIBANK LEVY EXEMPTION — IMPACT ON HEALTH SYSTEM
As a supplementary question, will this change provide an additional burden and further extend elective surgery waiting lists for seniors and the disadvantaged? Mr J.A. McGINTY

AnswerView source ↗

I had a detailed meeting with the senior people responsible for surgery at all metropolitan hospitals earlier this week. The challenge that we have is to find ways in which we can increase the capacity to do surgery. We appreciate the $15.4 million that has come in from the commonwealth and will be expended on doing an extra 2 700 operations during the course of this year, but in anticipation of an extra burden on elective surgery, we must increase capacity. We are looking at a number of measures now, which will deal with theatre availability and surgeon and anaesthetist availability, so that we can expand the amount of elective surgery. Critical to all of that, of course, is the recruitment of additional nurses to make sure that extra beds are open. We have the capacity, properly managed, to be able to manage this issue.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: I had a detailed meeting with the senior people responsible for surgery at all metropolitan hospitals earlier this week. The challenge that we have is to find ways in which we can increase the capacity to do surgery. We appreciate the $15.4 million that has come in from the commonwealth and will be expended on doing an extra 2 700 operations during the course of this year, but in anticipation of an extra burden on elective surgery, we must increase capacity. We are looking at a number of measures now, which will deal with theatre availability and surgeon and anaesthetist availability, so that we can expand the amount of elective surgery. Critical to all of that, of course, is the recruitment of additional nurses to make sure that extra beds are open. We have the capacity, properly managed, to be able to manage this issue.
I had a detailed meeting with the senior people responsible for surgery at all metropolitan hospitals earlier this week. The challenge that we have is to find ways in which we can increase the capacity to do surgery. We appreciate the $15.4 million that has come in from the commonwealth and will be expended on doing an extra 2 700 operations during the course of this year, but in anticipation of an extra burden on elective surgery, we must increase capacity. We are looking at a number of measures now, which will deal with theatre availability and surgeon and anaesthetist availability, so that we can expand the amount of elective surgery. Critical to all of that, of course, is the recruitment of additional nurses to make sure that extra beds are open. We have the capacity, properly managed, to be able to manage this issue.

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