❓ Mr. Cook inquires about bariatric surgery wait times, reporting practices, and government strategies to reduce waitlists. The Minister provides data, explains reporting exclusions due to low volume and confidentiality, and outlines the WA Health Bariatric Surgery Plan.
AnsweredQoN 1460Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to waitlist times for bariatric surgery: (a) can the Minister please release data for bariatric surgery wait times in each quarter in the below years: (i) 2011; (ii) 2012; and (iii) 2013; (b) why is bariatric surgery not listed on Quarterly Wait List Reports, and can this surgery be listed; and (c) what strategies is the Government currently implementing to reduce the number of people on the waitlist for bariatric surgery?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
26 November 2013
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
26 days
(a)(i-iii) The number of cases awaiting bariatric surgery and the percentage within boundary for each quarter of 2011, 2012 and 2013 were as follows:
As at the end of
each Quarter
Total Number of Cases
Awaiting Bariatric Surgery
Percentage of Cases
Within Boundary*
2011 March
355
83%
2011 June
351
79%
2011 September
132
47%
2011 December
166
57%
2012 March
167
51%
2012 June
202
59%
2012 September
179
88%
2012 December
172
99%
2013 March
163
96%
2013 June
99
94%
2013 September
49
100%
* Within Boundary represents those that are within the clinically recommended timeframe for their urgency category.
(b) The indicator procedures contained within the WA Health's Elective Surgery Wait List Report ('the Report') are based on the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare's most common indicator procedures. An indicator procedure is defined as a procedure 'which is of high volume and is often associated with long wait periods'. Measures of waiting times are commonly presented by indicator procedures as they are considered to be reasonably comparable across jurisdictions.
The remaining procedures (including bariatric surgery) are reported as 'Uncoded/other' within the Report.
As at 30 September 2013, there are 49 cases awaiting bariatric surgery. This accounts for 0.3% of all cases on the elective surgery wait list. Furthermore, of the elective surgery wait list admissions performed from 1 January 2013 to 30 September 2013, bariatric surgery accounted for only 0.3% of the total admissions.
There is no intention to include bariatric surgery as a specific procedure in the Report. This information is however available and can be provided as required. The low volume of cases may result in the identification of patients and/or clinicians and will require the results to be suppressed to protect patient and clinician confidentiality.
(c) The
WA
Health Bariatric Surgery Plan - a standardised approach to surgery for obesity
was released in 2012 and outlines WA Health's approach to surgery for obesity. The Plan was developed based on evidence based best practice and research.
The following strategies have been implemented:
· Standardised access criteria for surgical procedures for obesity.
A concerted effort across two metropolitan hospitals to reduce the number of patients waiting longer then desirable for this surgery (i.e. the use of Joondalup Health Campus as well as Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital to undertake bariatric surgery for wait listed patients), as well as provision of a service at Bunbury Regional Hospital.
· Applying a first on first off process to ensure equity of access and reduce overall wait times.
As at the end of
each Quarter
Total Number of Cases
Awaiting Bariatric Surgery
Percentage of Cases
Within Boundary*
2011 March
355
83%
2011 June
351
79%
2011 September
132
47%
2011 December
166
57%
2012 March
167
51%
2012 June
202
59%
2012 September
179
88%
2012 December
172
99%
2013 March
163
96%
2013 June
99
94%
2013 September
49
100%
* Within Boundary represents those that are within the clinically recommended timeframe for their urgency category.
(b) The indicator procedures contained within the WA Health's Elective Surgery Wait List Report ('the Report') are based on the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare's most common indicator procedures. An indicator procedure is defined as a procedure 'which is of high volume and is often associated with long wait periods'. Measures of waiting times are commonly presented by indicator procedures as they are considered to be reasonably comparable across jurisdictions.
The remaining procedures (including bariatric surgery) are reported as 'Uncoded/other' within the Report.
As at 30 September 2013, there are 49 cases awaiting bariatric surgery. This accounts for 0.3% of all cases on the elective surgery wait list. Furthermore, of the elective surgery wait list admissions performed from 1 January 2013 to 30 September 2013, bariatric surgery accounted for only 0.3% of the total admissions.
There is no intention to include bariatric surgery as a specific procedure in the Report. This information is however available and can be provided as required. The low volume of cases may result in the identification of patients and/or clinicians and will require the results to be suppressed to protect patient and clinician confidentiality.
(c) The
WA
Health Bariatric Surgery Plan - a standardised approach to surgery for obesity
was released in 2012 and outlines WA Health's approach to surgery for obesity. The Plan was developed based on evidence based best practice and research.
The following strategies have been implemented:
· Standardised access criteria for surgical procedures for obesity.
A concerted effort across two metropolitan hospitals to reduce the number of patients waiting longer then desirable for this surgery (i.e. the use of Joondalup Health Campus as well as Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital to undertake bariatric surgery for wait listed patients), as well as provision of a service at Bunbury Regional Hospital.
· Applying a first on first off process to ensure equity of access and reduce overall wait times.
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