Mr KNIGHT - 2007-10-11
Earlier this year, you announced an initiative to reduce the Territory’s elective surgery waiting lists. Can you inform the House of the outcomes of the government’s elective surgery initiative?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. Reducing waiting times for people who are on elective surgery lists has been a number one priority of mine since I became Health minister. I have dedicated a lot of time and interaction with the department to this issue.
Earlier this year, as the member for Daly said, I announced an elective surgery blitz to reduce waiting times, particularly for those who were on the overdue list, the people who have been waiting the longest. An investment of $2.3m was made for this elective surgery blitz. Important elements of the blitz were to ensure that there are beds, particularly in Darwin, for those who are undergoing elective surgery.
An arrangement was entered into with Darwin Private Hospital to provide 10 dedicated beds for those undergoing elective surgery. The results have been quite significant. Of the 1612 people who were on the overdue list across the Territory on 31 March 2007, 1463 people have been removed from the list, which is a reduction of 90%. That is significant.
Each and every one of those 1600-odd people were contacted and offered surgery. Of those 1612 people, 1463 were cut from the list. Of those, 803 received surgery and 660 were removed for a variety of reasons, including no longer requiring surgery or moving interstate and a number of people who, no doubt, had their surgery through the private system. I certainly encourage those who are privately insured, where it is appropriate, to have their elective surgery carried out through the private system.
We know that elective surgery waiting lists are not static; they are quite fluid. There were another 966 people who moved on to the overdue list in the period between 31 March and 31 August. Overall, that meant there was a 31% reduction in the overdue list right across the Territory, which is a significant number. However, we are not going to rest on laurels. I was at Royal Darwin Hospital today and the surgeons said they are going to continue to focus on elective surgery for further reductions in elective surgery waiting lists.
Ward 3B coming on stream, the area turned into an administration area by the previous CLP government that we are reopening as a ward, will further support elective surgery in an ongoing relationship with Royal Darwin Hospital.
In relation to Alice Springs Hospital, we opened a third operating theatre specifically to reduce elective surgery waiting times as part of our elective surgery blitz. The third operating theatre will remain open until around mid-December, which traditionally is the close up time for elective surgery theatres. I have been discussing with the CEO and we want to continue our elective surgery effort in Alice Springs next year. Alice Springs did very well in the number of operations carried out. However, they started from a higher base of the percentage of people who were on the overdue list. We need to continue that in 2008.
It revolves around not only the third operating theatre, but having available beds in Alice Springs. We have added 12 this financial year and will be adding another 12 in the next financial year. It is complicated in Alice Springs by remediation works and bed availability. However, I am very keen to further reduce the list in the Central Australian region.
This is a good news story, and I certainly commend the staff of Alice Springs Hospital, Royal Darwin Hospital and the regional hospitals which have been working so hard to reduce these lists. This is a very significant result that I have been able to report to parliament.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. Reducing waiting times for people who are on elective surgery lists has been a number one priority of mine since I became Health minister. I have dedicated a lot of time and interaction with the department to this issue.
Earlier this year, as the member for Daly said, I announced an elective surgery blitz to reduce waiting times, particularly for those who were on the overdue list, the people who have been waiting the longest. An investment of $2.3m was made for this elective surgery blitz. Important elements of the blitz were to ensure that there are beds, particularly in Darwin, for those who are undergoing elective surgery.
An arrangement was entered into with Darwin Private Hospital to provide 10 dedicated beds for those undergoing elective surgery. The results have been quite significant. Of the 1612 people who were on the overdue list across the Territory on 31 March 2007, 1463 people have been removed from the list, which is a reduction of 90%. That is significant.
Each and every one of those 1600-odd people were contacted and offered surgery. Of those 1612 people, 1463 were cut from the list. Of those, 803 received surgery and 660 were removed for a variety of reasons, including no longer requiring surgery or moving interstate and a number of people who, no doubt, had their surgery through the private system. I certainly encourage those who are privately insured, where it is appropriate, to have their elective surgery carried out through the private system.
We know that elective surgery waiting lists are not static; they are quite fluid. There were another 966 people who moved on to the overdue list in the period between 31 March and 31 August. Overall, that meant there was a 31% reduction in the overdue list right across the Territory, which is a significant number. However, we are not going to rest on laurels. I was at Royal Darwin Hospital today and the surgeons said they are going to continue to focus on elective surgery for further reductions in elective surgery waiting lists.
Ward 3B coming on stream, the area turned into an administration area by the previous CLP government that we are reopening as a ward, will further support elective surgery in an ongoing relationship with Royal Darwin Hospital.
In relation to Alice Springs Hospital, we opened a third operating theatre specifically to reduce elective surgery waiting times as part of our elective surgery blitz. The third operating theatre will remain open until around mid-December, which traditionally is the close up time for elective surgery theatres. I have been discussing with the CEO and we want to continue our elective surgery effort in Alice Springs next year. Alice Springs did very well in the number of operations carried out. However, they started from a higher base of the percentage of people who were on the overdue list. We need to continue that in 2008.
It revolves around not only the third operating theatre, but having available beds in Alice Springs. We have added 12 this financial year and will be adding another 12 in the next financial year. It is complicated in Alice Springs by remediation works and bed availability. However, I am very keen to further reduce the list in the Central Australian region.
This is a good news story, and I certainly commend the staff of Alice Springs Hospital, Royal Darwin Hospital and the regional hospitals which have been working so hard to reduce these lists. This is a very significant result that I have been able to report to parliament.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016