Immediate action needed to clear surgery backlog
The AMA has joined with a number of medical colleges to call for immediate action to tackle ever-growing surgery waiting lists.
The AMA; Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS); Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) and Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) have written to federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, calling for action to get public hospitals out of logjam.
The group says while the National Hospital Funding Agreement (NHRA) needs reform, a new agreement won’t be introduced until 2025, and there’s desperate need for a new plan to tackle the existing backlog of surgeries.
The AMA and the medical colleges are pushing for 50–50 funding in the new NHRA and the removal of the 6.5 per cent cap on funding growth, together with the reintroduction of performance funding.
AMA President Professor Steve Robson says hundreds of thousands of people are waiting for essential surgery and urgent action is needed now.
“Sick and injured patients across Australia have been suffering for far too long on surgical waiting lists,” Professor Robson said.
“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 letter says new funding must be dedicated to clearing the surgery backlog, with an estimated $4.4 billion — shared between state, territory and Commonwealth governments — needed over two years.
The group estimates the elective surgery backlog is likely above 500,000 patients and growing, while the “hidden waiting list” for initial public outpatient appointments could exceed 400,000.
