As hospitals across the central west work through their surgery backlogs, one lags behind.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
According to the latest data from the Bureau of Health Information (BHI), the proportion of Dubbo hospital patients receiving surgery on time in the first quarter of 2024 dropped by 3.9 per cent compared to the same time last year.
In Orange and Bathurst, however, the proportion of patients receiving surgery on time increased between 2023 and 2024 by 3.1 per cent and 6.2 per cent respectively.
Throughout the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) 2,512 planned surgeries performed during the January to March 2024 quarter, an increase of 10.8 per cent compared to the same quarter in 2023.
Of those surgeries, almost nine in ten (86.8 per cent) were performed on time and almost all urgent surgeries (99.3 per cent) were performed on time, an improvement of 1.7 percentage points.
Dubbo hospital has the longest wait lists for surgeries, with patients waiting 18 days for urgent surgery compared to 17 at Orange and 13 at Bathurst.
For semi-urgent patients, Dubbo patients were waiting an average of 75 days, ahead of Bathurst with 70 days and Orange with 67 days.
Wait times at Dubbo hospital were also longest for non-urgent surgeries, with a mean wait time of 345 days, slightly longer than 342 at Bathurst and 308 days at Orange.
BHI chief executive Dr Diane Watson said, across the state, the number of patients on surgery waiting lists and waiting longer for surgery than clinically recommended had increased since December 2023.
"While the number of patients on the waiting list ready for surgery at the end of March rose for the first time this quarter in almost two years, the list remains close to pre-pandemic levels," she said.
Acknowledging the continued pressure on hospitals across the state, NSW health minister Ryan Park announced a plan to clear up beds by making joint surgeries into day surgery.
The Same-day and Short-stay Joint Replacement Program would allow patients to return home the day after their surgery when clinically appropriate.
"People waiting for surgeries longer than clinically recommended are often waiting in pain and discomfort," Mr Park said.
"We want to reduce overdue surgeries so that people can receive the life changing treatment they need and enjoy life."
Mr Park said research shows with the right pre and post-operative care, patients can be supported to recover at home, avoiding the need for lengthy hospital stays.
Patients involved in the pilot will receive comprehensive prehabilitation or "pre-hab", which provides support prior to surgery, as well as postoperative in-home care.
"We want patients to be able to safely recover from the comfort of home, where it is appropriate and safe to do so," Mr Park said.
"By doing this, we are boosting the capacity in our busy hospitals, improving patient flow and reducing wait times for others."
For all the data about hospital performance in the central west visit the BHI website.
