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News & Trends - MedTech & Diagnostics

Private hospitals essential in tackling elective surgery backlog, says APHA

Health Industry Hub | January 25, 2022 |

MedTech News: New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reveals Australia’s private hospitals will be essential to addressing the backlog of necessary elective surgery when restrictions ease.

The new data shows the median wait time for elective surgery has increased by a week, from 41 days pre COVID (2018-19) to 48 days in 2020-21. The data also shows 7.6% of public patients – about 57,300 – waited more than 365 days for elective surgery in 2020-21, up from 19,264 or 2.8% the previous year. This is largely because restrictions on elective surgery meant many cases were deferred.

Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) CEO Michael Roff said this is a very big increase in waiting times.

“When you look at surgeries by category, the increases in median wait time are even more significant. Those waiting for head and neck surgery now wait 112 days, up from 84 pre-COVID, while ophthalmology patients wait 118 days rather than 73, an increase of six and a half weeks,” he said.

While the rise in public hospital elective admissions from a COVID-induced low in 2019-20 is good news, additional widespread restrictions after the period covered by the report means waiting times for surgery will now be even longer.

“This data illustrates the essential role private hospitals will need to play in helping Australians get the vital surgery they need. Just as private hospitals have helped the public system with the pandemic response, they will be essential to clearing the surgical backlog post-pandemic.

“Without private hospitals picking up the slack, Australians will be waiting a great deal longer to have their surgery – often important for quality of life, like cataract surgery to correct impaired vision or joint replacements to remove pain and improve mobility.”

In a recent interview, the AMA President, Dr Omar Khorshid, commented “…it’s also worth remembering that every time you do that, you’re stopping the care that was available to other people. And of course, there are many, many thousands of Australians who had hoped to have some elective surgery in the private sector early this year, whose hopes are now dashed.”

Mr Roff told Health Industry Hub “Between March and June in 2021, private hospitals were able to reduce the private backlog by around 30,000 patients, so we know that when surgical restrictions are removed capacity can be increased, if required. Addressing the growing surgery backlog will require time but it cannot start until all restrictions are removed. It will also require public hospitals focussing solely on treating public patients, rather than chasing the privately insured. This would allow them to treat an extra 700,000 public patients each year.” 

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Mr Roff said restrictions on necessary elective surgery should not last one day longer than they need to.

“With signs the Omicron wave is plateauing in several states, health departments need to consult with private hospitals about easing restrictions in a safe way, so hospitals are ready to increase surgical capacity to provide much-needed treatment to those Australians who have had surgery deferred.

“When restrictions ease, public hospitals should not be taking in a single privately insured patient until all of their public patients have been treated. It is time to stop them treating public patients as second-class citizens.

“It would be morally reprehensible if public hospitals were to bring in a large number of privately insured patients to take advantage of the even longer wait times Australians have had to deal with, while those who need the public system languish on ever lengthening waiting lists,” he said.


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