Surgical taskforce makes strides in reducing surgery waitlist, but looming concerns over deteriorating hospital performance raise alarms

MedTech & Diagnostics News: A surgical taskforce in New South Wales (NSW) has reduced the long waiting times faced by patients awaiting planned surgeries. Since assuming office in March, the Minns government has made tackling the overwhelming surgery waitlist a top priority. Initially, approximately 17,000 patients were enduring extended waits beyond clinically recommended timeframes, but Health Minister Ryan Park announced a significant reduction in that number to 11,000.

“In just a few months, we have made substantial progress in reducing the number of individuals waiting outside the medically advised timeframes,” stated Minister Park, underscoring the impressive achievements of the taskforce,” said Minister Park.

However, Minister Park did not disclose the current overall position of the surgery waitlist, leaving unanswered questions about the total number of patients still in need of timely surgeries.

While the efforts of the surgical taskforce are commendable, concerns persist regarding the overall performance of hospitals. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) recently released an analysis as part of their Clear the Hospital Logjam campaign, which revealed a concerning decline in hospital performance since 2014. That year, changes were made to the National Hospital Funding Agreement (NHRA) by the previous government, leading to the removal of performance-related funding and the abolition of the National Health Performance Authority.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson highlighted the impact of these decisions, stating, “Our analysis shows a marked improvement when performance-based funding was introduced in 2011 and a huge decline in performance after it was removed in 2014.” The decline in hospital performance has been reflected consistently in the AMA’s public hospital report cards, which demonstrate a year-on-year deterioration.

Professor Robson emphasised the urgent need for rethinking hospital funding, particularly as the current review of the National Hospital Funding Agreement presents an opportunity for change.

“Without change, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel for patients who are waiting too long for surgery and spending excessive time in our emergency departments,” warned Professor Robson. To address the public hospital crisis, the AMA has proposed a comprehensive four-point plan, including reintroducing performance improvement funding, securing funding for additional beds and staff, investing in out-of-hospital care with general practitioners, increasing the Commonwealth’s share of funding from 45% to 50%, and eliminating the arbitrary 6.5% activity cap.”

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