Medical colleges unite: Urgent call to clear surgery waiting lists

MedTech & Diagnostics News: In an urgent call for swift and decisive action, medical colleges issue a plea to both federal and state/territory governments to alleviate the escalating surgery waiting lists, which have subjected hundreds of thousands of Australian citizens to protracted periods of agonising pain.

In a united front, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has joined forces with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO), and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG). Collectively, these medical colleges have directed a correspondence to the Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, urgently imploring a comprehensive strategy to disentangle the public hospital system from its current state of congestion.

While acknowledging the importance of reform within the National Hospital Funding Agreement (NHRA), the coalition has underscored the undeniable exigency of immediate measures, given that a new agreement is not slated for introduction until the year 2025. The gravity of the situation, as the medical colleges underscores, necessitates a swift intervention to unclog the existing backlog of surgeries that has inflicted undue hardships and pain upon countless Australians.

A paramount demand put forth by the AMA and the medical colleges resides in the proposed 50–50 funding arrangement within the imminent NHRA. This is closely accompanied by an impassioned entreaty for the removal of the 6.5% cap on funding growth, and a reinvigoration of performance funding.

Emphasising the urgency of the situation, Professor Steve Robson, President of the AMA, expressed, “Sick and injured patients across Australia have been suffering for far too long on surgical waiting lists. We need action now — from all governments — to get our hospitals out of logjam and help all those Australians whose lives are being severely impacted because they can’t get the surgery they need.”

The written appeal delineates the imperative of channeling fresh funding towards alleviating the surgery backlog, estimating an overall requirement of $4.4 billion to be collectively shouldered by state, territory, and Commonwealth governments over a span of two years. The gravity of the situation demands immediate actions to bolster the capacity of public hospitals, given that the backlog of elective surgeries is projected to exceed 500,000 patients and counting. Furthermore, a “hidden waiting list” for initial public outpatient appointments is feared to balloon to over 400,000, underscoring the urgency of intervention.

Associate Professor Kerin Fielding, President of RACS, stressed the irrefutable significance of acknowledging the escalating demand for specialised surgical care and access to elective surgeries within the community.

Drawing attention to the allocation of resources, Professor Fielding noted, “The capacity of health services to improve standards of living through surgery is increasing, but the allocation of resources to support this still requires improvement. So too does the term ‘elective surgery’, which has been questioned by the College, since ‘essential surgery’ seems more accurate. We should also look at improving efficiencies within the public health infrastructure by establishing facilities with dedicated surgical beds reserved for planned elective surgery patients to ensure emergency admissions do not occupy theatre and bed resourcing.”

Amidst these calls for comprehensive reforms, the impact on specific medical fields cannot be understated. Dr Grant Raymond, President of RANZCO, revealed the escalating pressures upon publicly funded cataract surgery. The current waiting times for elective surgeries are exacerbating distress among patients, particularly the elderly, prompting a dire plea for targeted intervention to alleviate their plight.

In a similar vein, Dr Benjamin Bopp, President of RANZCOG, underscored the distressing repercussions of extended waiting times for elective surgeries pertaining to women’s health. He said “The current waiting times for elective surgeries for women is adding distress to many and impacting on quality of life, not just for individuals but also their families and communities. This will only get worse without targeted intervention.”

As the medical community unites in a clarion call for immediate and concerted action, the spotlight turns to government authorities to heed this resolute plea.

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